Cooperation, rehabilitation of drought-affected spots in the East Bale area of ​​Ethiopia

ROMA – The eastern and southern areas of Ethiopia continue to suffer the effects of an unprecedented drought, the result of rainfall shortages recorded for 4 consecutive seasons. The almost absent rains have thus compromised the means of subsistence of the agro-pastoral communities. The objective of the NGO’s intervention LVIA is to improve access to essential water services for drought-affected communities in the East Bale area.

Those 12 million starving people. An estimated 12 million people are food insecure and 8.6 million need assistance accessing water, sanitation and hygiene in affected areas. 704,500 children are at risk of acute malnutrition. The East Bale area is located in the south-western part of the Oromia Region and is among the areas most affected by the prolonged drought. Cattle breeding and pastoralism are an integral and fundamental part of the inhabitants’ livelihood and the feeding of the livestock depends entirely on the resources offered by the pastures.

The water scheme no longer works. In the village of Dawe Ketchen, the water scheme is no longer functional, due to lack of maintenance and high fuel costs: the local community uses ponds for human and animal consumption. Three years ago, the Ethiopian Government took a significant step to improve access to drinking water for the Dawa Kechen community: a motorized well, 350 meters deep, was built, from which approximately 1,500 people draw, as well as two health centers who together provide essential medical care to approximately 2,100 patients per year. Today, however, the Dawa Kechen well supplies less and less water and a complete rehabilitation work is necessary.

The objectives of the intervention. They have to do with improving the recharge capacity of the well, with the simple need to increase the amount of water that can be stored and recovered from the well. and make it more efficient and reliable in providing clean water. We will then proceed – we read in a note released by LVIA – to replace the generator set with a pumping system powered by solar energy, thus eliminating the dependence on expensive and polluting diesel fuel.

Possible support for all this. It is an approach aimed at promoting a sense of ownership and responsibility both among communities and local authorities involved in the water management process. The project requires that at least 43% of the committee members be women. To support these activities, it is possible to acquire a water certificate from Water is Life Campaign.