Community projects bring climate action into everyday life, through changes such as more efficient cooking and better access to clean water. Using less fuel helps reduce emissions and pressure on surrounding forests. Depending on the project, it can also mean cleaner air at home and less time spent collecting firewood.
One in nine people around the world do not have access to clean water close to home, and 60% of the world’s population live in areas of water stress, where the water supply cannot or will not continue to meet demand.
Eritrea is a small coastal country in northeast Africa, in which only 19% of the population has access to clean water close to home. Others must travel many miles to find water or rely on unsafe surface water sources such as rivers or open wells. This lack of clean water and sanitation has profound health impacts and is the second biggest driver of death and disability in the country. Years of persistent drought conditions in the region have further restricted access to water resources, compounding the problem and putting strains on local communities.
This Zoba Debub Community Boreholes project will provide long-term access to safe and clean drinking water to hundreds of households within the Zoba Debub district in Eritrea, using borehole technology.
Boreholes are used to access safe, clean water from underground. Holes as deep as 100m are drilled into the ground, and drilling pipes are installed. A hand pump is then fitted, meaning that water can be pumped out by hand.
Many existing boreholes in Eritrea have fallen into disrepair because maintenance programmes have been poorly managed or proven too expensive, leaving people without access to clean water. This project works to identify broken-down boreholes, renovate them, and supply a maintenance programme to ensure that clean, safe water is delivered.
Zoba Debub is a largely rural district in which many local people typically use wood fuel on inefficient stone fires to purify their drinking, cleaning, and washing water. This process results in the release of greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of wood. By providing safe water, this project ensures that households consume less firewood during the process of water purification and therefore reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion process.
Zoba Anseba in central Eritrea is a rural district in which local people mostly collect and boil water to purify it. This process results in the release of greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of wood - this can be avoided if a technology that does not require fuel (wood or fossil) supplies clean water desired by households.
The project supports nature by reducing the use of non-renewable biomass from forests, as communities no longer need to burn firewood to purify water. This helps preserve existing forest stock, protecting natural ecosystems and wildlife habitats. By safeguarding standing forests, the project also maintains healthy watersheds that regulate groundwater levels and reduce flash flooding. Lower firewood consumption further prevents deforestation, soil erosion, and nutrient loss, supporting biodiversity, land stability, and long-term ecosystem resilience.
This project supplies the local community with a source of clean, safe drinking water. The project will also provide job opportunities to many people, like technicians, guards, service providers and others. The rehabilitation of hand pumps will provide access to clean water to the community, which means health and more time to work and go to school. Women and children spend most of their time fetching water and wood by walking long distances.
By repairing and maintaining boreholes, the project provides safe, clean drinking water, reducing reliance on contaminated surface water (rivers, ponds, open wells). This helps prevent waterborne diseases.
Women and girls are often responsible for collecting water. When boreholes are broken, they may spend hours walking long distances to fetch unsafe water. Repairing boreholes reduces the time and physical burden of water collection, freeing up time for education, income-generating activities, and participation in community decision-making.
The project’s core focus is on repairing and maintaining water boreholes, directly addressing the lack of clean and accessible water.It ensures a reliable, long-term source of safe water for households.
Zoba Anseba in central Eritrea is a rural district in which local people mostly collect and boil water to purify it. This process results in the release of greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of wood - this can be avoided if a technology that does not require fuel (wood or fossil) supplies clean water desired by households.
These partners help deliver the project and verify its impact.
This project is verified by the Gold Standard.
