Taloa, Vanuatu – January 30, 2024 – Water scarcity is a major issue for most of Vanuatu’s 327,000 inhabitants. A handover ceremony marked a turning point for over 700 Taloa community members as the Taloa Solar Water Pump Project was officially handed over to the community by the Global Green Growth Institute(GGGI).
This transformative initiative, funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented in collaboration with the Department of Water Resources (DoWR), Vanuatu’s National Green Energy Fund (NGEF), Department of Cooperative, and the Department of Local Authority (DLA) through the Area councils, provides a sustainable solution to the community’s long struggle with water scarcity.
Prior to the project, Nguna Island residents, particularly during dry seasons, faced acute water shortages. The new solar-powered water pump system, however, promises a more reliable access relieving some of the hardship faced by surrounding communities. The system utilizes renewable energy to pump clean, natural water, meeting the laundry, cooking, and drinking needs of over 400 residents as well as the island’s Junior Secondary School’s its 313 staff and students.
The handover to the Taloa community on Nguna Island marks a significant milestone in Phase II of the project “Scaling-up Climate Resilience through Solar Power-Driven Access to Water”. The program, initially launched in 2019, has already delivered 38 solar-powered water pumps across Vanuatu with the goal to eventually benefit 20,000 people in rural and peri-rural areas.
“We hope that solar-powered water pump will have a lasting positive impact on the Taloa community by improving water accessibility and reliability, and that other communities will be inspired to consider similar solutions,” Norbert Maass, GGGI Country Representative for Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, and Kiribati, expressed.
The Solar Water Pump Project demonstrates how an inclusive, collaborative approach and innovative solutions can help address critical water security challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Vanuatu. By harnessing renewable energy and empowering communities, it paves the way for a more sustainable and resilient future for island nations.
