Movable and expandable drip irrigation systems

Casa Apis (Central de Cooperativas Apícolas do Semiárido Brasileiro) is a cooperative of over 800 small bee-keepers located in the State of Piaui, in North-Eastern Brazil. The Caatinga semi-arid region has only two seasons: a hot and dry winter, and a rainy summer. The Caatinga is characterized by a series of challenging issues: long periods (approx. 6 mos) without rainfall, frequent droughts, rugged soil – not suitable for large-scale agriculture, low level of industrialization and income inequality.
Despite all of these challenges, the Caatinga remains very suitable for honey production. However, during dry periods bee colonies are swarming, resulting in the loss of bees and a drop in the honey production. In order to prevent the loss of bee colonies, in 2021 Casa Apis started a 5-year reforestation project.

The EFTA Climate Justice Fund will support Casa Apis to acquire 16 new drip irrigation systems, to help newly planted trees to survive the first 18 months. The plan is to use movable and expandable irrigation kits, to allow for repeated use during the project. Water – available from subterranean wells and cisterns – will be distributed from a water tank installed in the center of each planting module on beekeepers’ land.