Water is Life, Madagascar

Over 2 billion people worldwide lack access to safe water, and approximately 485,000 diarrhea-related deaths in low- and middle-income countries are attributable to unsafe water consumption each year.Notably, Madagascar is at the bottom of the list of 76 developing countries with the lowest access to basic sanitation and is facing a severe water crisis given its extreme vulnerability to the impacts of the climate crisis and weather shocks, such as evidence of recent cyclones.

Access to basic water and sanitation services in Madagascar suffers from serious inequalities and low-quality services. 54.4% of the population has access to basic water services and only 12.3% of the population has access to basic sanitation , while 82% of urban residents have access to clean water, in rural villages this percentage drops to 34%.

Over 2,100 children a year die from diarrhea due to poor water quality. Families living in isolated villages do not have access to drinking water. The wells are contaminated with bacteria and viruses and those who drink that water expose themselves to diseases. Most have no alternative to drinking the contaminated water unless the water is boiled . The scarcity of water also makes agriculture and livestock farming very difficult.

For these reasons Aid4Mada launched the WATER IS LIFE project in 2018 which involved the construction of 10 manual pump wells and 19 solar energy-powered water systems , completed between 2018 and 2022, which today guarantee free and unlimited access to drinking water to over 80,000 people living in isolated rural communities without access to other safe water sources.

This has led to several benefits for communities :
- greater availability of safe and unlimited drinking water;
- fewer illnesses and deaths linked to the consumption of non-potable water;
- general improvement of health and living conditions;
- less time spent on water supply;
- more time to dedicate to income-generating activities and education;
- job creation for the construction and maintenance of water systems.

In order to guarantee the quality of the water supplied, targeted maintenance and thorough cleaning of the technologies are carried out three times a month.

One of the main objectives of the project is to raise awareness among local populations of the correct and safe management of water resources , developing a new awareness regarding hygiene and thus contributing to sustainable development.

This objective is pursued in two ways:
- A Water Committee is set up within each village (composed of the village head and some local inhabitants) which has the task of overseeing the correct management of the water system and reporting any malfunctions or requests for extraordinary maintenance.
- Hygiene campaigns are periodically organised within the villages , to illustrate the importance of drinking water and its conservation, with particular attention to correct hand washing.

Project Impacts and Benefits

Impact for the climate:

SDG 13 - Climate Action: This project activity has an annual reduction of up to 10,000 tonnes CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and reduces illegal deforestation as the consumption of wood and coal for water purification by boiling is avoided.  The project is part of a wider programme of activities - the projects within this programme situated in Madagascar have a total annual CO2 emission reduction of 60,000 tonnes. 

Impact for the communities:

SDG 3 - Good Health and Wellbeing: Direct access to clean and safe drinking water, with an improvement in health due to the reduction of water-borne diseases. 95% of households reported a reduction in carbon monoxide and other harmful gases due to removal of the reliance on boiling water. 

SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation: Availability of safe, unlimited drinking water from the regularly maintained water supply

SDG 12 - Responsible Production and Consumption: Hygiene campaign delivered to the local communities with emphasis on the importance of drinking water and its conservation

More information on this project is available in the Gold Standard Impact Registry

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