South Sudan has re-commissions Torit drinking water supply system. This project, which received US $2M in funding from the German development agency (KfW) and technical assistance from the German Agency for International Development Cooperation (GIZ), now serves over 80% of Torit’s population.
After more than two years of work, the enhanced system includes two boreholes equipped with solar-powered submersible pumps, which are both environmentally friendly and cost-effective. It also features a 25-kilometer piped distribution network and an additional 500 m³ reservoir, boosting the town’s total water storage capacity by 50%. To ensure water safety, a chlorine dosing mechanism has been integrated into the system.
READ:South Africa to receive US $1bn for water and sanitation projects
Improved water access
The project also expanded access to clean water by adding 25 new water kiosks to the existing eight, reducing the distance residents must travel to collect water. This improved water access is expected to benefit approximately 43,800 people, mainly women and children, and contribute to better sanitation and hygiene in households, schools, and health facilities.
In 2022, South Sudan was ranked as the world’s most vulnerable country to climate change and has the lowest level of coping capacity. South Sudan is also one of the world’s most politically fragile countries, and faces as a result, a vicious cycle of water insecurity and fragility. Recently, extreme floods in 2020, 2021, and 2022 were a stark reminder of South Sudan’s extremely high exposure to flood hazards, aggravated by the growing impact of climate change.
