Water Scarcity
dried out, and
the kiosk had to
close. It was the
first kiosk where
this happened, so
we were taken by
surprise.
Luckily, after the
March rains, the
kiosk was able to reopen. On a positive note, the kiosks
that remained open throughout the dry months have been
able to provide even more people with safe drinking water,
as people come from further afield to buy water in times of
severe drought. When waterborne diseases are prolific, this
is incredibly important.
Photo: Caroline Weimann/Siemens Stiftung
Many kiosks developed back up plans and looked for
alternative water sources, such as Korumba and Tinderet
SWE in Kisumu and Nandi County’s. At other sites, we had
to make technical changes, such as installing a pump that
reaches further down into the river or dam, or installing
bigger storage tanks. These adjustments incur additional
costs, so we’ve been helping the kiosk management teams
review their financial planning.
act differently, both in the short and the long term. We
urgently need solutions to deal with brackish water and
water containing chemicals , such as fluoride. At Siemens
Stiftung, we actively scout such technical solutions through
the “empowering people. Award” and the “empowering
people. Network”. Lessons learned from our work and
new technology can help, but it can only take us so far. We
need changes in the industrial and agricultural sectors on
waste and waste water, as well as irrigation technologies.
We need more accountability for the implementation
of policies to mitigate climate change and ensure food
security. It goes without saying implementing the Paris
Climate Agreement will be crucial to these efforts.
About the Author
To solve these challenges, we need people to think and Caroline Weimann is a project manager
for Social Ventures at Siemens Stiftung.
She is in charge of operative Basic
Services projects in East Africa with
a focus on water, clean energy and
Caroline Weimann
health topics. Caroline is managing the
foundation’s Safe Water Enterprise project, which aims
to provide a sustainable supply of safe drinking water for
remote communities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Safe water kiosks are set up together with local partners
and communities, who are trained in basic technology,
social entrepreneurship and business skills. Before joining
Siemens Stiftung, Caroline already worked on health
and development issues at the European Commission in
Brussels. She studied Modern Languages at the University
of Oxford and holds an MA in International Law,
Economics and Diplomacy from the School of Oriental
and African Studies in London.
About IFC About WSP
This instability will only continue. With climate change,
regular drought cycles are predicted to become more
frequent and severe , and we will see the groundwater table
transformed, all while a growing population, agriculture,
and industry increase their demands on water. A second
threat is also emerging. As we speak, we’re seeing heavy
rainfalls in Kenya. The rains typically bring a sharp increase
of water borne diseases, affecting children in particular;
they destroy harvests, and flash floods drown livestock.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest
global development institution focused exclusively on
the private sector. We help developing countries achieve
sustainable growth by financing investment, mobilizing
capital in international financial markets, and providing
advisory services to businesses and governments. For more
information, visit: www.ifc.org and www.ifc.org/ssawa.
The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) is a multi-donor
partnership administered by the World Bank to support
poor people in obtaining affordable, safe, and sustainable
access to water and sanitation services. WSP provides
technical assistance, facilitates knowledge exchange, and
promotes evidence-based advancements in sector dialogue.
For more information, visit: www.wsp.org.
IFC - CBA Building, 4th Floor | Upper Hill, Mara/Ragati Road
Nairobi, Kenya, P.O. Box 30577-00100
Contact: Will Davies | [email protected] | +254 (0) 717 133 177
World Bank - Water and Sanitation Program | Hill Park Towers, Upper Hill Road
Nairobi, Kenya, P.O Box 30577
Contact: Yolande Coombes | [email protected] | +254 20 322 6309
Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • July - August 2017
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