Project details
1321 · Clean drinking water
  • Central Province, Zambia
Contributing to health, the environment, and gender equality through clean drinking water

Our carbon offset project provides clean drinking water in Zambia's Central Province through the installation, rehabilitation, and maintenance of boreholes. By providing safe water, the project helps to reduce diseases such as cholera, as poor water quality is one of the main causes of these infections. It also ensures that households consume less firewood during the process of water purification, and as a result, fewer emissions will be released into the atmosphere – saving about 120,000 tonnes of CO2 every year. This further contributes to the health of the population, as the water is usually boiled over open fire, resulting in heavy smoke.

Girls and women are particularly affected by poor water conditions which is why our project also has an impact on gender equality: Providing clean water through boreholes reduces their time spent collecting water and firewood which can now be used for education or additional income.

How does technology for clean drinking water help fight global warming?Two billion people in the world have no access to clean drinking water. Many families have to boil their drinking water over an open fire, resulting in CO2 emissions and deforestation. Where water can be cleaned chemically (e.g. with chlorine) or mechanically (with filters), or where groundwater can be provided from wells, these CO2 emissions can be avoided. Clean drinking water projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
Contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Good Health and Well-BeingBy providing safe water from boreholes, the project removes the need to boil water for purification, therefore, decreasing the amount of air pollution. It also reduces diseases caused by drinking unsafe water.
Gender EqualityReducing the time collecting water and gathering firewood by 25 % enables women to focus on work and education opportunities. It also reduces their exposure to violence as they are not forced to travel alone to isolated locations in search of water and firewood.
Clean Water and SanitationThe project provides 82,000 additional people with access to safe water.
Climate ActionThe project saves about 120,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Project standardGold Standard VER (GS VER)TechnologyClean drinking waterRegionCentral Province, ZambiaEstimated annual emission reductions120,000 t CO2Validated byKBS Certification Services Pvt. Ltd. (KBS)