Project description

Title: Rehabilitation of water supply systems in four regional towns in western Eritrea
Commissioned by: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Country: Eritrea
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Land, Water & Environment, Water Resource Department
Overall term: September 2003 to December 2007

Context

Drinking water supply in Eritrean small and medium-sized towns is poor. Women in particular suffer under the time-consuming, costly and arduous task of fetching water. Trades and crafts cannot develop properly, preventing the creation of urgently needed jobs.

Objective

Sustainable improvements have been made in water supply for four small and medium-sized towns in Eritrea's western lowlands with a total 90,000 inhabitants. This entails the improvement of infrastructure, strengthening management and administration in operating companies and the efficient operation of facilities.

Approach

Site-appropriate water resource management will enable households, agriculture and industry to use the available water in keeping with economic, ecological and social standards. Awareness among authorities, water utility enterprises and consumers that water is a valuable and scarce resource is to be raised.

Besides developing the necessary technical competency of the engineers and technicians responsible and expanding the construction of wells, pipelines and the supply infrastructure, one of the most important tasks is to set up the legal, organisational and financial framework for autonomous, cost-covering, decentralised operating companies.

Results achieved so far

• By drawing up servicing plans for the facilities, installing water meters at relevant points in the pipeline grid and introducing a mobile breakdown vehicle service, water losses and water supply outages have been tangibly reduced and the hygienic conditions at public taps have been improved. 
• Together with the University of Asmara, an improved water intake management scheme has been prepared for the town of Barentu. 
• The practical experience gained by the project at local level is also put to use in advising national institutions. The project subobjective of autonomous and self-sufficient management at the water supply operators has been endorsed at national level by the Water Resource Department, ensuring that improvements in water provision for the population can be maintained in the long term.