Clean water in Dolo Ado, Ethiopia

In Dolo Ado, a woreda of about 145.000 inhabitants - which has started to host also thousands of refugees from Somalia since 2011- there is no water. Here people consume almost half of the water that is expected worldwide as the minimum daily requirement per capita, 8.8 litres instead of 15 litres.

Not only that, the average time for the people to reach the nearest water supply point is 72 minutes, the maximum time can take more than 6 hours.

Most of the population uses the water of basins for domestic and livestock purposes, which creates a promising environment for water-related diseases. Furthermore, many local health centers do not have their own clean water sources.

We have improved access to drinking water and the sanitation practices of the population of Dolo Ado, located in the Liben area of the Somali region. The project involved the construction of four water points (fountains) with according pipe extensions: two wells for public use in order to reduce the distance for water supply, one collection point for rainwater for the local health center and one fountain for the school.

To ensure proper maintenance and correct use of the water points, four management committees were established, which have also benefited from training sessions on the proper use of water resources and sanitation practices associated with it, promoting the participation of communities in improving the sustainability of the water supply system. This has also led to the creation and development of opportunities for exchanging experiences between members of different implant management committees.

Around 18.720 people benefitted of the project and gained access to water.

On site, COOPI Suisse works with COOPI Chad and with the Ministry of Planning and Public Services - Rural Water Service Administration (State Water Corporation) in Chad.

The project was carried out in collaboration with the AIL and with the support of COOPI Suisse's donors.