Project Detail

Solar-powered water pumping, purification and distribution system

This modern technology-based system is powered by solar energy; it combines active filtration, UV and ozone sterilization and local chlorine production, along with expertise in introducing operational schemes to villagers and enabling the establishment of local small enterprise. A public donor provides the initial capital to purchase a water distribution and purification system for a village, which will deliver, pump, clean and purify water to safe drinking water quality. The system also includes water bottling facilities, including recyclable plastic polyethylene bottles (20 liters) and equipment to locally produce chlorine that is used to disinfect bottles after they are returned for refilling. The system equipment with a filling station is installed in one villages cluster area that can benefit from an improved access to cheap and safe bottled drinking water. The system is managed by a Village Water Committee (VWC) and owned by the village community. An identified Village Technician (VT) operates the system supervised by the Committee. Because of initial high investment costs covered by public funds, the VT can sell the water at an affordable price to the poor also living in surrounding villages that covers his salary and regularly maintenance expenses.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Lao Institute for Renewable Energy

Country:

Lao

Area Of Work:

Community Based Adaptation

Operational Phase:

OP4 - Y3 (Jul 09 - Jun 10)

Grant Amount:

US$ 47,524.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 15,710.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 14,280.00

Project Number:

LAO/MAP-CBA/2010-CBA/9

Start Date:

7/2010

End Date:

8/2012

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Planning gef grant

Based on the lessons learned from this project we are planning to scale up the system to target a district town and the surrounding village cluster.

Capacity - Building Component

The capacity building was provided to the CVC and VT for the management of the small enterprise and for the commercialization of pure water. An extensive training was provided to the Village Technician to acquire the technical capacity to run the water production unit and develop the business.

Notable Community Participation

The community participation is a key point of this project. After the identification of potential area to setup the project, LIRE met the local community the find the best partner. This project requires a strong involvement of the community the guaranty the success. A cluster of 5 villages has been identified where the community shows a high willingness to support the project. A Community Water Comity has been created with representative from the 5 villages to conduct the project. The comity will be in charge to supervise the activity and the management of the small enterprise. This enterprise will be led by the Village Technician with the support of assistants from other villages. The Water Comity and technician participate with commitment to the trainings provide. The villagers received as well a general Health and Hygiene Training provided by Lao Red Cross focusing on the of clean water for drinking and cooking.

Project sustainability

The project base it sustainability on the public ? private partnership. The installation of a water purification production line funded by GEF and our partner SUNLABOB allows starting up a self-sufficient small community enterprise. This small enterprise is run by the village technician (Entrepreneur) and monitored by the Water Village Community to produce pure water. The commercialization of 20L bottled water at reasonable price will guaranty employees and maintenance cost and develops the structure. This production unit will grant an easy access to pure drinking water in the target villages with a coverage capacity up to 5000 people and reducing of significant ways the impact on the environment and the vulnerability.

Gender Focus

The project has a gender orientation as secondary result as it aims to reduce the use of wood fuel for boiling water. The access to affordable bottled pure water will reduce the workload of women and children traditionally in charge of wood collection.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The sustainability is based on the income generation by the drinking water business and the use of solar energy to reduce the running cost to the salaries. The main interest of this market based concept is that the VT is highly motivated the increase the water usage in the community and this way increase the incomes of the enterprise. He as well commuted to maintain the production line which is own incomes source.

Linkages gef projects

There is for now no link with other GEF projects.

Policy Influence

This project does not have Policy influence.

Replication of project activities

This project is already a replication of previous successful implantations and an adaptation for GEF small grant. The possibility of replication will be evaluated during the evaluation step which is starting in May 2011.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

This project is market based, with local entrepreneur. This concept brings a strong sustainability and the opportunity for the project enterprise to grows and increases its impact.

Planning non gef grant

This project is scaled for local rural community with a limited coverage. There is different ways to scale up this model. Working at the same scale but in several sites allows creating a network of water providers. This allows producing pure water locally, creating local activity and reducing water transportation.

Project Results

At this stage, the beginning of water production, it is not able to evaluate the impact of the project. Nevertheless, the installation is completed and successful and the production unit received already the license from Food and Drug department for the publicize the pure water produced.
In one month will start the phase of monitoring and evaluation. During this phase project will monitor the impact and the reduction of vulnerability.

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Indicators

Biophysical

VRA1: Vulnerability to present climate change hazards 10

Biophysical

VRA2: Efficacy of coping mechanisms to current climate risks 10

Biophysical

VRA3: Vulnerability to future, anticipated climate hazards 10

Biophysical

VRA4: Efficacy of coping mechanisms in face of projected climate change 10

Biophysical

VRA5: Magnitude of barriers to adaptation 10

Biophysical

VRA6: Sustainability of project intervention 10

Biophysical

VRA7: Development of adaptive capacity beyond the scope of the project intervention 10

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