**2.2 Viability of using solar panels as the electric supply for the pumping irrigation of water at a household level in South Syria**

The escalating of the conflict in South Syria increased food insecurity, as communities depended on agricultural and livestock activities for their livelihoods. The cost of food, fuel and transportation are usually linked with agricultural seasons [19]. The analysis below highlights the importance of using solar panels—as a source of electrical supply- to pump water to households to irrigate their small yards, which can be used for daily food supplies.

The analysis focused on the cost of HH electricity before and after installing the solar panels (2016-2018), and then linked these costs with the impact on HH incomes. The analysis was done by using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) to extract arithmetic and standard deviations for the 30 HH samples on electrical consumption and income changes, before and after installing solar panels. About 100 percent of the sample showed that the fuel cost decreased in summer and winter after installing the solar panels. The electricity bill had an almost 1.5 percent difference between the before and after periods of solar panel installations.

Similarly, the decrease in fuel consumption and cost to irrigate the small yards reflected positively on the HH income. All sampled HHs decreased their fuel consumption in summer and winter compared to their annual income expenses, and mainly from the source of seasonal heating activities. This explains the decrease of negative coping mechanisms which were adopted before installing the system. In contrast, female-headed household showed interest in their responding to the use of solar panels, but at the same time, worried about using them. Most of the women's concerns were on the solar panel's maintenance and sustainability, as they have to support their families' needs and income within limited time; the security issue is adding a critical burden on their mobility and safety. Furthermore, 80 percent of women interviewed that they need ongoing training and follow-up during early summers and winters, to make sure that they fully understood how to deal with the panels' maintenance, to ensure their productivity.
