As Uganda joins the rest of the world in marking World Water Day, water and energy solutions firm Davis & Shirtliff is calling for more investments in solarized water pumps to help the country build more resilience by creating a strong resistance to shifts in rainfall caused by climate change or unreliable seasonable patterns.
The Horn of Africa is staring at a record 6th year of drought, threatening the region’s food security with reports indicating Horn of Africa rainfall totals in 2022 were the lowest in 70 years effects of which Davis & Shirtliff says could be averted in future through technology that helps in sustainable pumping, water harvesting, treatment and recycling.
“Solarized water pumping has proven to be operationally, financially, and environmentally sustainable, bringing the cost of access to clean and safe water down tremendously for both household and industrial use including importantly farming,” said Davis & Shirtliff MD Uganda Patrick Mufwoya.
Millions of Ugandans still live with limited access to water with many communities relying on hand pumps or electric water pumps that are costly to maintain.
“Before, the major hindrance to acquisition of solar power was definitely cost, but in recent years the cost of solar technology has dropped tremendously making them more accessible. In addition, these panels last around 20 years, requiring little maintenance throughout their lifetime,” Mufwoya added.
With a population of 45 million people, Water.org reports about 38 million people (83% of the population) lack access to a reliable, safely managed source of water, and 7 million people (17%) lack access to improved sanitation solutions. Uganda has experienced two decades of economic growth, leading to large population movements from rural areas to informal settlements around urban centers. High population growth stresses the water and sanitation services that exist.
World Water Day 2023’s focus is on accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. Celebrated annually on 22 March, World Water Day raises awareness and inspires action to tackle the water and sanitation crisis. World Water Day became a UN observance day in 1993. It seeks to focus attention on the global water crisis.
“For long, the traditional way of water abstraction has been motorized way of powering pumps and engine solutions, but now the shift is towards sustainability. Renewable energy has become more affordable, so our solutions are tailored to that – solar & wind solutions,” he concluded.
