The Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation (MWDS) in Zambia has developed a project to tackle water scarcity resulting from climate change in vulnerable communities.
The project was created with the assistance of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) and approved for funding by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in July 2022.
The programme will receive $2 million (£1.6 million) to establish a solar-powered water supply scheme that aims to provide safe water, improved sanitation, and irrigation for farms and livestock.
According to a recent statement from the Commonwealth Secretariat, the southern part of Zambia has experienced a significant drop in average annual rainfall over the past 40 years, with repeated droughts, flash floods, and land degradation.
The mean annual temperature has increased by 1.3°C since 1960, far above the global average, and rainfall in the rainy season has decreased by 7.1 millimetres every decade.
These conditions have directly impacted people’s lives and the economy, particularly the agricultural sector.
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Senior Hydrogeologist in the Ministry of Water Development, Beatrice Kanyamuna-Pole, explained that the project will focus on the Nyimba and Lumezi Districts in Eastern Province, where flash flooding and drought are common occurrences, and 85,000 people live in extreme poverty with limited access to drinking water.
The solar-powered water supply scheme will be crucial to improving the lives and livelihoods of these communities, providing a reliable source of fresh water while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building resilience.
The project will assess the groundwater supplies in several rural areas and build human, technical, and institutional capacity for sustainable groundwater management.
Additionally, the project will create an enabling environment for the solar-powered water systems to operate successfully and sustainably over the long term.
The contribution of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub is part of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s efforts to support member countries to adapt to and mitigate climate change.
