By Matik Kueth
The German International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid) kicked off drilling and rehabilitating new boreholes in Nzara and Yambio Counties, Western Equatoria State, on Thursday.
The drilling and rehabilitation of boreholes is funded by the project “Food and Nutrition Security and Natural Resource Management – FONA,” which is being implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and, in collaboration with the World Food Programme and UNICEF, aims to address water-related issues for both smallholder farmers and the local population.
GIZ has drilled 18 boreholes in both counties, and three rehabilitated boreholes will soon be upgraded with solar-powered technology.
The development agency (GIZ) undertook an evaluation in 2023 in collaboration with GOPA and discovered that many communities in Yambio and Nzara counties rely on run-off surface water from streams and rivers and frequently lack access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
According to GIZ, the project will work directly with smallholder farmers and cooperatives in Nzara and Yambio (Western Equatoria) and Aweil West and Aweil Centre (Northern Bahr El Ghazal) to help farmers increase their harvest and provide a more diverse and healthier diet for their families by increasing farm productivity.
However, the project works jointly with people of the local community to improve natural resource management, thereby mitigating the detrimental effects of extreme climate events.
It also sparked the formation of micro-catchment management committees, which created integrated action plans based on specific catchment areas.
A catchment is an area where rainwater gathers before draining into a body of water, such as a river or lake. Improving access to water sources was one of the initiatives prioritized in the micro-catchment management plans created by the committees.
Greta Ruaha Drilling Company Limited will drill new boreholes as well as reconstruct and upgrade non-functional boreholes in villages throughout Nzara and Yambio counties.