At least 1,000 human-powered pumps will be converted into solar pumps in four regions of Ivory Coast. This 26 million euro project will be carried out by the French company Vergnet Hydro.
In order to provide Ivorians with access to drinking water, human-powered pumps will be converted into solar pumps in the regions of Lôh Djiboua, Agneby Tiassa, La Mé and Sud-Comoé. The project, financed to the tune of 26 million euros by the Ivorian government, will be carried out by the French company Vignet Hydro via its local subsidiary Saher.
According to the Ivorian Minister of Hydraulics, Laurent Tchagba, this project started in March 2021 and has an execution rate of 15%, and will be completed in March 2023. This will reduce the hardship of pumping water for women and children in rural areas.
The French company Vergnet Hydro has undertaken preliminary work on this project to convert and rehabilitate 1,000 water points with hybrid solar pumps. This work involves blowing out, cleaning, and checking each borehole. Each installation is equipped with a solar and a manual pump, a 4 m3 tank, taps and related equipment, including pipes and cables.
A spin-off of the “Water for All” program
Ivory Coast has made access to drinking water one of its priorities, enshrined in its 2016-2020 National Development Plan (NDP), and has set a goal of achieving 100% coverage by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since then, many projects, such as the one implemented by Vergnet, have been carried out through the “Water for All” program.
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The project to rehabilitate and modernize 1,000 existing water points in localities of 500 to 2,000 inhabitants aims to secure the population’s water supply by improving the quality of service. A total of 500,000 people will benefit from improved drinking water services.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
