Sudan is a troubled place and one thing that is quite disturbing is the lack of water in the region. The Red Cross, however, is at work on a project that will fight that problem in at least one town. If successful, it will hopefully be replicated in other regions. I’m talking about solar-powered water pumps. The project takes place in Akobo, southeast Sudan. This temporary home for thousands who fled the violence in their own regions in 2009 has more than 55.000 people who don’t have enough water. This means that they often have to get by with less than two liters of clean water a day.

The Red Cross wants to build the power station for a powerful pump which extracts water from tens of metres below the ground and transfers it to elevated tanks. Under the effect of gravity, the water then would flow from the tanks through pipes to public water distribution points in the town. Those pumps will be powered by 420 solar panels. The project should be completed in the first quarter of 2011.

According to the Red Cross, the project will be able to supply 10 liters of water a day for people, as well as provide water for a school, hospital, several new administrative buildings, and other distribution points used by both people and livestock.

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