Ethiopia to provide 300,000 solar-powered potable water facilities- Official

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Ethiopia’s rural localities without access to the power grid are to get potable water facilities powered by renewable energy sources, APA learns here Monday.

According to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, the country is massively engaged in the installation of wind and solar powered water pumps in remote localities throughout the country.

Bizuneh Tolcha, Public Relations Director at the Ministry on Monday said that 109 such projects are under implementation in Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s states of the country.

Out of the total projects, 33 have been fully accomplished with additional 67 under installation, Bizuneh said, adding that design works and further studies are underway on the remaining projects.

Bizuneh said the government’s Universal Access Program favors such initiatives of long term investment in improved technologies to ensure more access to basic amenities in rural areas.

The director added that the projects will help increase the sustained supply of water at lower economic, environmental and social cost than fossil fuel powered water pumping systems in rural areas.

The ongoing projects are expected to benefit over 300,000 people, according to the director, who added that the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the National Climate Facility are the financiers of the $5million project.

SOURCE:http://en.starafrica.com/