Improving health conditions through clean water access

Our project addresses the daily challenges of rural communities in Rwanda by repairing and maintaining existing boreholes and thus improving their access to clean water sources.

The quality of water in Rwanda is typically not safe to drink. Families must either boil water over inefficient wood-fuelled fires or travel long distances to reach a clean source. This often means several hours of work per day, or suffer respiratory illnesses from inhaling smoke from the indoor fires, both mainly affecting women and children. Many communities have boreholes, however, they often lack the capacities to maintain them over the years.

Our project restores and repairs existing boreholes to provide clean drinking water to Rwandan communities. Each borehole is up to 100 metres deep and operated with a simple hand pump. Besides reducing carbon emissions from water boiling, the project brings various social benefits to 68,000 people.

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-BeingThanks to the clean water, fewer people suffer from respiratory diseases or diseases transmitted by unsafe water.
Gender EqualityReducing time collecting water and gathering firewood enables women to access work and education opportunities.
Clean Water and SanitationEach year, communities can be supplied with 50 million litres of clean drinking water.
Climate ActionThe project saves CO2 emissions, as drinking water no longer has to be boiled.
Life on LandSaving 85,000 tonnes of firewood per year reduces the pressure on local forest ecosystems.
Project standardGold Standard VER (GS VER)TechnologyClean drinking waterRegionGatsibo, Rwanda