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Water and Sanitation(Groundwater development and water supply)

Cuba

Title The Project for Capacity Enhancement of Groundwater and Seawater Intrusion Management
Period January 2013 – February 2017
Funded by JICA

Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean with a population of about 11 million. The main source of water supply is groundwater, and Habana (Cuba’s capital)’s groundwater supply is facing a problem of seawater intrusion.

Kokusai Kogyo’s experts are working with the Cuban government and related agencies to enhance their capacity regarding groundwater including seawater intrusion management.

Myanmar

Title Preparatory (Basic Design) Survey for the Provision of Equipment for Rural Water Supply Project in the Central Dry Zone
Period March 2010 –
Funded by JICA, Japanese Grant Aid

The Central Dry Zone of the Union of Myanmar is a subtropical semi-arid zone. Annual rainfall in the zone is 400-800 millimeters and most of the rain is concentrated from May to October. As rural residents in this zone mainly depend on reservoirs that collect rainfall in their villages, they have to travel several kilometers to buy well water during the dry season when the water level of their reservoirs drops.

To overcome this situation, the Government of Myanmar has planned and implemented various rural water supply projects, one of which is the “Ten Year Project for Rural Water Supply by Development Committees of Sagaing, Magway and Mandalay Divisions (from 2000-2001 to 2009-2010)”., The government however, has been faced with many technical problems and defects with wells which leave wells unusable shortly after construction or cause the water to become muddy.

Under these circumstances, the Government of Myanmar requested the Government of Japan to provide technical cooperation for developing management capacity and training technical engineers, which our experts are currently undertaking.

Ethiopia

  • Location of Somali Region, EthiopiaLocation of Somali Region, Ethiopia
  • Geophysical exploration in Somali RegionGeophysical exploration in Somali Region
Title Jarar Valley and Shebele Sub-basin Water Supply Development Plan, and Emergency Water Supply
Period March 2012 – August 2013
Funded by JICA

The project area, in the horn of Africa, was recently devastated by its worst drought in over 60 years. This is the first project by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, an area prone to repeated droughts and food shortages. It will: 1) contribute to both urgent and chronic needs for water supply in the region, and 2) develop the capacity of relevant agencies to realize a stable water supply in the long term.

The project will benefit around 56,000 people from the local community, who have limited access to the safe water, as well as 16,400 Somali refugees. Concrete outcomes will be to

evaluate water resource potential,
develop a water supply plan,
strengthen the technical and organizational capacity of counterparts in water supply planning and facility operation and maintenance,
alleviate water shortages in Kebribeyah Town,
assess feasibility of planned water supply facilities, and
avert a water crisis in the Somali Region with donated equipment.

Although living and working conditions are extremely harsh and the security situation is unstable in the Somali Region, Kokusai Kogyo is committed to accomplish the expected outcomes by fully utilizing its extensive experience in water supply projects in Ethiopia.

Malawi

  • Community Based Management Training for Water Point Committee by Extension WorkersCommunity Based Management Training for Water Point Committee by Extension Workers
Title Detailed Planning Survey on the Project for Enhancement of Operation and Maintenance for Rural Water Supply / Project for Enhancement of Operation and Maintenance for Rural Water Supply
Period July 2011 – July 2015
Funded by JICA

The purpose of this project is to develop a more practical operation and maintenance (O&M) framework for rural water supply in Malawi.
This will lead to more water supply facilities in working order, and is also expected to have a positive impact on irrigation and water development; as well as being used extensively by other development partners of the Ministry of Agriculture in Mchinji District of Malawi.
This project is also expected to be a model for subsequent nationwide dissemination.

Guatemala

  • Lecture on well repairingLecture on well repairing
Title Project for Strengthening Water Associations and Community Development
Period March 2010 – June 2013
Funded by JICA

In recent years in Guatemala, groundwater has been increasingly developed for rural water supply, and rural water associations and committees play a leading role in operating and maintaining the groundwater supply facilities. This project aims to improve the capacity of the Guatemalan agency, INFOM-UNEPAR, which technically and institutionally supports rural water associations and committees.

Kokusai Kogyo’s consultants are jointly working with INFOM-UNEPAR to achieve the project purpose of improving capacity of three of its regional offices, Huehuetenango, Central Region, and Quetzaltenango, to support the water associations and committees that are responsible for administration, operation and maintenance of groundwater supply facilities.

Various activities are being undertaken towards this end, such as establishing a training program on the administration, operation and maintenance of groundwater supply facilities, training of trainers for central and regional staff of INFOM-UNEPAR, and monitoring and evaluating records of operation and maintenance of water associations and committees of 14 pilot sites. Further information can be found here (Spanish only).

Cuba

Title Capacity Development on Groundwater Development and Management for Climate Change Adaptation
Period November 2008 – February 2012
Funded by JICA

This project aimed to strengthen the capacity of Cuban public servants involved in development and management of groundwater to improve Cuba’s ability to cope with climate change by utilizing deep groundwater. Kokusai Kogyo achieved this by training the counterparts – focusing on those in eastern Cuba, chosen as a model area due to its vulnerability to climate change – to strengthen their skills in geophysical prospecting, mathematical modeling and establishing and maintaining a geographic information system database.
These skills will be further disseminated nationwide by strengthening the technical capabilities of the counterparts, who were mainly instructors from a civil engineering corporation under the National Water Resources Institute, as well as the managerial and analytical capacity of those at the national level.

Ethiopia

Title The Study on Groundwater Resources Assessment in the Rift Valley Lakes Basin
Period December 2009 – November 2011
Funded by JICA

The improvement of water supply rate in Ethiopia largely depends on the development of groundwater as a water source. However, the information to accurately understand the volumetric potential of aquifers is not adequate and regional-scale hydrological mapping is required.

The target area of this project is the Rift Valley Lakes Basin, which is one of 12 major water basins of the country. The targets of the Study were to ascertain groundwater potential, develop hydrological maps, formulate water supply plans for small and medium cities, and strengthen the planning capacity of the Ministry of Water Resources of Ethiopia.

The Rift Valley Lakes Basin, which forms a part of the African Great Rift Valley, has a complex geological structure and is susceptible to both droughts and flooding. Our sophisticated groundwater surveying technology was fully employed to successfully achieve the targets of the Study.

Ethiopia

  • Training on How to Operate an ExcavatorTraining on How to Operate an Excavator
  • Training on How to Operate a GeneratorTraining on How to Operate a Generator
  • Delivering MachineryDelivering Machinery
Title Project for Improvement of Equipment for Groundwater Development
Period August 2008 – December 2010
Funded by Japanese Grant Aid

In Ethiopia, water shortages due to frequent draughts have seriously influenced social and economic activities, and safe water supply is a great concern. Water supply development has increasingly become the mandate of local authorities at the district level (Woreda) with decentralization, but a lack of personnel skilled in water supply technologies has hindered greater access to safe water.

To combat this issue, the government of Ethiopia intends to secure necessary human resources by utilizing EWTEC (Ethiopia Water Technology Center), which has been assisted by the government of Japan, and nine vocational training centers around the country. This project aimed to provide these 10 human resource development organizations in the water sector with equipment for groundwater development and investigation. Kokusai Kogyo carried out the basic design study and detailed design and provided consulting service for equipment procurement.

Myanmar

  • Women fetching the little water left in a small reservoir in MyanmarWomen fetching the little water left in a small reservoir in Myanmar
Title The Project on Rural Water Supply Technology in the Central Dry Zone
Period November 2006 – October 2009
Funded by JICA

The residents in the country’s central dry zone mainly depend on small reservoirs that collect rainwater in their village. When the water level of the reservoirs falls during the dry season, they have to walk several kilometers to buy water at wells. A number of wells have been constructed by international organizations and governmental authorities, but many of them were broken or unusable due to poor design or construction and subsequent intrusion of muddy water. Consequently, this project aimed at the technical development of the implementing agency, the Department of Development Affairs (DDA) under the Ministry of Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs, where Kokusai Kogyo dispatched its experts.

In the project, we gave lectures and hands-on training to the DDA engineers in the selected pilot villages with a focus on three key technical areas, construction, rehabilitation and maintenance. All of these lectures were planned to be associated with field work, whereby 20 new water wells were constructed and 29 wells were rehabilitated. On-the-Job training was effectively carried out both to management staff and technical staff, and motivated DDA to strengthen its institutional structure to sustain project achievements.

Ethiopia

  • Children going to fetch waterChildren going to fetch water
Title Groundwater Development and Water Supply Training Project, Phases 2 and 3
Period March 2005 – March 2008, December 2008 – November 2013
Funded by JICA

Capacity building in the fields of groundwater development and water supply was, and remains a crucial issue for the Ethiopian Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) as a managing authority. The Groundwater Development and Water Supply Training Center was thus jointly established in 1998 by MoWR and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The objectives of the training center were to provide practical training courses for the staff of central and regional governments involved in the groundwater development and water supply programs, with technical assistance of JICA experts.

The technical cooperation project finished in January 2005 with its initial objectives accomplished. MoWR and JICA agreed to add new roles to the training center – which was renamed the Ethiopia Water Technology Center (EWTEC) – with Kokusai Kogyo being commissioned to carry out Phase 2 of the project from March 2005 to March 2008. As a result the project’s success, a third phase was launched in January 2009 aiming to reinforce the technical and financial self-reliance of EWTEC.

Ethiopia

  • Trial drilling for groundwater development to supply safe drinking waterTrial drilling for groundwater development to supply safe drinking water
Title Project for Rural Water Supply in Oromia Region
Period February 2008 – Present
Funded by Japanese Grant Aid

Located in the center of Ethiopia, Oromia is the largest, 353,690km2, and most populous, about 2.5 million (2004), province in the country. A mere 36.7% of Oromians, however, have access to safe water. Most are forced to spend almost a whole day to fetch unsanitary water. This low rate of safe water access is also responsible for economic difficulties and the high occurrence of water-borne diseases.

Consequently, the Ethiopian government requested grant aid of the Japanese government to develop deep wells in the area.

As a result of a basic design study by Kokusai Kogyo, a water supply project was designed to distribute potable water to about 100,000 people in 46 villages in Oromia and the provision of grant aid was approved. The project is also currently being carried out by Kokusai Kogyo.

Ethiopia

  • People who carry dinking water by donkey far awayPeople who carry dinking water by donkey far away
Title Project for Rural Water Supply in Tigray Region
Period December 2006 – Present
Funded by Japanese Grant Aid

Only 35% of the population of Ethiopia has access to safe drinking water; this is far below the average of Sub-Sahara countries, 54% (2002, UNDP). In the rural area in particular, safe water supply is one of the most significant concerns among others such as basic education, public health and livelihood improvement. Most population in Tigray Region in the north, with the influence of draught, suffers serious shortage of water.

Consequently, the government of Japan decided to provide grant aid based on the basic design undertaken by Kokusai Kogyo, which also conducted the detailed design and is now supervising the implementation of the project. The project aims to increase the population with safe water access from 420,000 (2006) to 480,000 (2015), and water access rate from 33% (2006) to 38% (2015). It is also expected to reduce water-related diseases and to lighten the workload of women and children who fetch water.

Tanzania

  • Woman collecting spring water in TanzaniaWoman collecting spring water in Tanzania
Title The Study on Rural Water Supply in the Mwanza and Mara Regions / Project for Rural Water Supply in the Mwanza and Mara Regions
Period May 2005 – Present
Funded by JICA, Japanese Grant Aid

The government of Tanzania intends to improve access to safe water under its National Water Policy. Although the Mwanza and Mara regions, facing Lake Victoria, are relatively economically advanced in the country, the water supply rate for the two regions was still 49% in Mwanza and 45% in Mara (2004). Accordingly, Kokusai Kogyo conducted a development study for JICA to update the regions’ current water supply plans and to study the feasibility of the recommended water supply project.

After the analysis of potential to use surface water and groundwater as potable water sources, we revised the plan to achieve a water supply rate of 57% in Mwanza and 62% in Mara by introducing different water supply schemes including utilization of spring water, deep wells with hand pumps, renovation and/or expansion of existing piped networks, and the installation of new piped networks. The financial feasibility of this plan was confirmed to be high after taking into account of expected trends of assistance by international donor agencies. We also planned the development of a facility maintenance and operation system whereby hygiene education was promoted and water fee payment was encouraged.

Furthermore, considering several factors such as the severity of potable water shortages, practicality and motivation behind water supply projects, willingness to pay for water, and prospects of functioning operation and maintenance, we selected 45 priority villages in the regions and presented detailed implementation plans of water supply projects for them.

Soon after the basic study by Kokusai Kogyo, the Government of Tanzania requested grant aid to implement this priority project, and it was approved by the Government of Japan in May 2009. The implementation of the Project is currently being supervised by Kokusai Kogyo. The population with safe water access will increase from 9,000 to 55,000 in the target region.

Tanzania

  • Gathered on the riverbank to collect waterGathered on the riverbank to collect water
  • Elevated water tankElevated water tank
Title The Study on Water Supply and Sanitation in the Lindi and Mtwara Regions / Rural Water Supply Project in the Lindi and Mtwara Regions
Period January 2000 – March 2007
Funded by JICA and Japanese Grant Aid

In Tanzania, the development of water resources is a priority matter as a service for society. In the Lindi and Mtwara regions in the southern part of the country, the deterioration of water supply facilities due to lack of maintenance along with the growing demand for water have made the establishment and expansion of water supply facilities an urgent matter. The objective of this study was to review the existing water supply plan and formulate a new master plan targeting the year 2015. Recommendations were also made regarding: (i) the revision of rural water supply policy and the establishment of guidelines for the design of simple water supply systems for small-scale villages, (ii) active participation of women in water supply schemes, (iii) private sector participation in water supply schemes, (iv) sanitation education for residents by local government, and (v) resident participation, technical guidance to residents in operation and maintenance, and the promotion of proper use of water funds to ensure the sustainability of the water schemes. Feasibility studies were also conducted in 100 high-priority villages; in six of those villages, pilot projects were implemented, where wells with hand pumps or community standpipes were constructed and village water committees were set up to enable residents to operate and maintain the facilities themselves.

The government of Japan decided to implement the water supply project for priority villages selected based on the study results, and Kokusai Kogyo carried out a basic design study and supervised the construction works. Consequently, 157 deep wells with hand pumps and 38 piped-water schemes were installed in 64 villages, where about 200,000 people were given new access to safe water.

Mauritania

  • Operation and maintenance training of foot pumps for village people in MauritaniaOperation and maintenance training of foot pumps for village people in Mauritania
Title The Project for Water Supply in the South Region
Period March 2003 – March 2007
Funded by Japanese Grant Aid

Due to frequent draughts, water shortage is a chronic issue in Mauritania. It is particularly serious in rural areas, where people have no choice but to rely on water from shallow wells, ponds, or stored rainwater for drinking water. The use of such poor quality water is the main cause of the high occurrence of waterborne diseases and high child mortality rate.

Understanding the significance of this issue, the Japanese government extended grant aid for three water supply projects to Mauritania. The need for deep wells, however, remained so high that the government also decided to implement this project in Hodh El Gharbi and eastern Assaba.

As a result of the basic design study by Kokusai Kogyo, the construction of deep wells with foot pumps for 40 villages and deep wells with power pumps and elevated tanks for 7 villages was planned. This construction work was supervised by Kokusai Kogyo under a grant of the Japanese government. We also carried out workshops with government officials and local communities prior to or during construction and trained them to properly operate and maintain the facility, so that they could supply safe water by themselves in a sustainable manner. Implementation of the project was not easy or straightforward as the project site turned out to be in a section of the desert which is crossed by the Paris-Dakar Rally, and, in addition, there were large difference in the values of the Mauritanian people, who follow a nomadic lifestyle, and the Japanese, who identify with agricultural settlement. However, as a result of our persistent efforts, the project succeeded to provide safe water to about 24,500 people, which meant a two-fold increase in the water supply rate from 8% to 16%.

Cambodia

  • Shallow Wells Used in the Project AreaShallow Wells Used in the Project Area
  • Children's Smile at Clean WaterChildren’s Smile at Clean Water
Title The Study on Groundwater Development in Central Cambodia / Rural Drinking Water Supply Project in Kampong Cham Province / Project for Rural Drinking Water in Momet District of Kampong Cham Province
Period December 2000 – March 2012
Funded by JICA and Japanese Grant Aid

There is a lack of safe drinking water facilities in Kampong Cham and Kampong Chinang provinces in Central Cambodia. As a result, the residents draw water from rivers, ponds (including stagnant ponds), lakes and shallow wells. However, these water sources often dry up in the summer months and are known to be contaminated with fecal coliform. Securing a stable supply of safe drinking water is an issue of the greatest importance in this region.

In the study, after assessing the groundwater potential in the two provinces, we formulated a plan for the sustainable development of groundwater for rural water supply. In the course of the study, we transferred techniques for groundwater surveys and project formulation to the Cambodian counterparts. Recommendations were also made to expedite implementation of the project, inclusion of hygiene education into the project, to conduct water quality surveys countermeasures, and promote rural development centered on water.

Following the result of the study, the Government of Japan decided to provide a grant for the water supply project in the priority villages, and the basic design, the detailed design, the construction supervision, hygiene education and community organizational development was carried out by Kokusai Kogyo. As a result, 380 deep wells with hand pumps were constructed in 115 villages. Further grant assistance was implemented for another 52 villages under the supervision of Kokusai Kogyo.