Diplomatic Correspondent :
UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency and its partners have been turning to green and non-polluting technology, including solar power, to help supply of safe water to Rohingya refugees living in the crowded settlements in Bangladesh.
Over the past six months, five new safe water networks funded by the UNHCR have been completed in the Kutapalong-Balukhali refugee site that are fully powered by solar energy, according to a press release of the UNHCR.
According to the release, solar panels generate enough energy to produce electricity to run motorised water pumps which draw water from newly-installed 70,000 litre chlorinated water tanks. The water is then pumped to tap stands installed close to refugee households.
The project’s aim is to provide 20 litres of potable water to every refugee daily for drinking and cooking, the release read.
Using solar energy has allowed the humanitarian community to reduce energy costs and emissions. Chlorination is a life-saver in refugee sites of this scale. Recent tests revealed that most contamination to drinking water occurs during collection, transport and storage at the household level.
Chlorinated water is safe for drinking and eliminates risks of spread of diseases. Previous water sources, mainly boreholes fitted with hand pumps were often highly contaminated by waste water penetrating the wells.
The five new water networks – jointly completed by UNHCR MSF, OXFAM and BRAC are providing safe water to more than 40,000 refugees at present. Another 55,000 refugees will benefit as UNHCR and its partner agencies are hoping to install nine more solar-powered water networks across
Kutapalong refugee camp in the coming year, at a cost of 10 million USD.
The effort to provide plenty of safe drinking water for refugees across all the heavily congested sites has been a massive challenge, requiring the drilling of thousands of deep tube-wells and building water networks, including the installation of pipes, dams, canals, filtering mechanisms and chlorination systems.
“More than 900,000 Rohingya refugees are living across 36 different locations in Bangladesh. Water is scarce in most locations. In the dry season, especially in areas like Nayapara, often the only solution is water trucking, which is very costly. It has been challenging to secure adequate water sources for the whole refugee population, most of whom fled to Bangladesh in late 2017. This is why UNHCR and partners have stepped up their efforts throughout 2018 to address the massive water and sanitation needs.”
“The improved water networks are completely solar powered in order to reduce energy costs and fuel emissions”, said Murray Wilson, head of UNHCR’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes in Cox’s Bazar.
UNHCR has been working closely with the Government of Bangladesh to identify water sources, provide expert advice and permission to dig tube wells and build other structures such as water reservoirs, water treatment plants, pipelines, water storage tanks, chlorination systems and boreholes fitted with hand pumps, the release added.
UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency and its partners have been turning to green and non-polluting technology, including solar power, to help supply of safe water to Rohingya refugees living in the crowded settlements in Bangladesh.
Over the past six months, five new safe water networks funded by the UNHCR have been completed in the Kutapalong-Balukhali refugee site that are fully powered by solar energy, according to a press release of the UNHCR.
According to the release, solar panels generate enough energy to produce electricity to run motorised water pumps which draw water from newly-installed 70,000 litre chlorinated water tanks. The water is then pumped to tap stands installed close to refugee households.
The project’s aim is to provide 20 litres of potable water to every refugee daily for drinking and cooking, the release read.
Using solar energy has allowed the humanitarian community to reduce energy costs and emissions. Chlorination is a life-saver in refugee sites of this scale. Recent tests revealed that most contamination to drinking water occurs during collection, transport and storage at the household level.
Chlorinated water is safe for drinking and eliminates risks of spread of diseases. Previous water sources, mainly boreholes fitted with hand pumps were often highly contaminated by waste water penetrating the wells.
The five new water networks – jointly completed by UNHCR MSF, OXFAM and BRAC are providing safe water to more than 40,000 refugees at present. Another 55,000 refugees will benefit as UNHCR and its partner agencies are hoping to install nine more solar-powered water networks across
Kutapalong refugee camp in the coming year, at a cost of 10 million USD.
The effort to provide plenty of safe drinking water for refugees across all the heavily congested sites has been a massive challenge, requiring the drilling of thousands of deep tube-wells and building water networks, including the installation of pipes, dams, canals, filtering mechanisms and chlorination systems.
“More than 900,000 Rohingya refugees are living across 36 different locations in Bangladesh. Water is scarce in most locations. In the dry season, especially in areas like Nayapara, often the only solution is water trucking, which is very costly. It has been challenging to secure adequate water sources for the whole refugee population, most of whom fled to Bangladesh in late 2017. This is why UNHCR and partners have stepped up their efforts throughout 2018 to address the massive water and sanitation needs.”
“The improved water networks are completely solar powered in order to reduce energy costs and fuel emissions”, said Murray Wilson, head of UNHCR’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes in Cox’s Bazar.
UNHCR has been working closely with the Government of Bangladesh to identify water sources, provide expert advice and permission to dig tube wells and build other structures such as water reservoirs, water treatment plants, pipelines, water storage tanks, chlorination systems and boreholes fitted with hand pumps, the release added.
