The Horn of Africa is currently facing severe weather conditions exacerbated by climate change, including recent heavy flooding and a devastating drought that affected around 37 million individuals, including 20 million children.
In response to the urgent water and sanitation needs, UNICEF and Xylem have joined forces to provide solutions to severely affected communities in Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda.
Climate extremes pose a threat to the progress towards UN’s SDG 6, which aims to ensure clean water and sanitation for all. UNICEF’s regional water, sanitation, and hygiene (R-WASH) program strive to empower utilities in vulnerable communities to deliver resilient, equitable, and sustainable services, with a special focus on communities hosting refugees and those displaced by climate impacts.
“Xylem Watermark is powered by the collective action of our customers, colleagues, and partners like UNICEF, who share a commitment to advancing water security for all.” Vincent Chirouze, Managing Director for Xylem Africa, said. “This evolution of our work together illustrates how collaboration and innovation can address the most pressing water challenges facing communities today.”
Capacity building for long-term water security in East Africa stands as a key objective of the partnership. Through Xylem Watermark, Xylem colleagues will share technical knowledge with UNICEF’s WASH specialists in the region to explore new climate-resilient solutions and technologies.
This collaboration will focus on areas such as solarization of borehole pumping, prevention of non-revenue water, and aquifer recharge. Local utility staff will receive practical training and skill development, supported by UNICEF in finance and governance areas.
“In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 250 million individuals continue to face challenges in accessing clean drinking water,” stated Kitka Goyol, UNICEF’s Regional Adviser for WASH and Climate.“Economic livelihoods can only improve – and health, education and equality thrive – if all children and their families have access to reliable, affordable water and sanitation services. Our partnership with Xylem is a great example of what can be achieved when we bring the right partners together to create solutions and deliver targeted interventions that directly impact communities in need.”
The projects in the Horn of Africa will draw on the lessons learned from UNICEF and Xylem’s joint initiatives to enhance water and sanitation access in India. Since 2021, these efforts have already provided WASH services and education to over 3.3 million individuals.
Source :Xylem Inc.
