|
The access to water, source of development
!
Kordofan North is one of the 16 provinces
which account Sudan. It is characterized
by a semi-arid climate and a vegetation
adapted to this type of climate: raised
steppe or savanna. It rains there abundantly
during the rain season from July to September.
The months without water, as for them, are
struck by the dryness and of the temperatures
passing very close to the 50°C regularly.
The problems of water in this state, as
in all those located far from any source
of continuous water such as the Nile, are
thus the following one: How to retain, manage
and preserve the water fallen during the
rain season, in order to hold until the
following year?
ONG CARE Sudan tackled the problem of water
in this area. They are present on the spot
since 1985. At the time of our passage to
El-Obeïd and Ghubeish we met the two
persons in charge for the projects "water
and development" at CARE.
Plan :
- water in the rural mediums in Sudan.
- Project CARE in Ghubeish Ali Ahmed (1250
km in the South-west of Khartoum).
- Care Project in El-Obeïd Ahmed Abbo
(850 km in the South-west of Khartoum).
I) water in the rural mediums in Sudan apart
from the valley of the Nile :
One counts 7 manners of storing and of
supplying oneself out of water:
1. Natural depressions (ponds, etc.)
2. The Baobab trees (cf notebook of the
initiatives on the Baobab tree)
3. The wells (drilling) assisted by a thermal
engine pump
4. Traditional wells dug with the hand.
5. Hand pumps (one actuates a lever to make
assemble water)
6. Private cisterns
7. Structures for surface water such as
the haffirs and the stoppings
Some figures concerning water and the supply
water in Kordofan North:
"75% of the population do not have
access to a drinking water.
"For 48% of the population the drinking
water resources are at a distance higher
than 10 km is 10 times the distance recommended
by WHO.
"Consequently consumption per capita
is only 4 to 16 liters per day, which is
less than 20% to 80% of the minimum recommended
by WHO.
II) CARE Ghubeish, discussion with Ali
Ahmed : For information, we gave Adrienne
to this antenna CARE, in order to support
their project "water and development"
with Ghubeish
The access to a drinking water and of quality
is a big problem in Kordofan even if this
State is very rich in subsoil water. The
surface water is in abundance only during
the rain season. Water holds an important
place in the household budget: between 50%
and 60%. Water on the outlet side of the
pump is sold by the government 50 dinars
per donkey-edge (100 liters), then it is
sold then with the door with door. The donkey-edge,
according to the season, resell it between
250 dinars and 1000 dinars (in season dries)
the 100 liters.
In the area, there are "Toilet-Yards"
(stations of pumping), but in an insufficient
number and often too decayed. The first
problem encountered by the community is
the regular failure of the pumps and its
incapacity to solve the breakdown quickly
for lack of formation and means. On average,
there are 5 per month with downtimes which
can go up to 20 days. This is why, annual
time to pass to supply itself out of water
is so high: approximately 140 days by an.(note:
One can be posed here, the question of the
bond between access to water and the development
in a broad direction)
Let us summarize :
The access to water is returned difficult
because:
-- Lack Toilet-Yards, 10 000 inhabitant
by Toilet-yards.
it reliability the existing Toilet-Yards
is low. In the event of breakdown, it is
necessary to make more kilometers to have
water.
-- Management of water from day to day,
not of stocks possible, bus not of cisterns.
it government brings an assistance to the
whole of the toilets yards, but, it is often
too L ongue to come especially when it acts
of minor breakdown.
The breakdowns take place because:
-- Lack of maintenance
-- high Cost of the spare parts
-- On use of the equipment of pumping 18
with 23h per day
-- Outdatedness of the material installed
(25 years)
We work (CARE) by the means of our project
to divide work between side that which returns
to the Government (management of the serious
problems) and other that which comes within
province of the community (management of
the small problems and maintenance) in order
to decrease the times of assistance.
Two parts in the project :
1. To increase the capacity of the population
to manage its well (Community management).
2. To renew the whole the Toilet-Yards (pumps,
cisterns and pipings).
This project of restoration and formation
is financed by Europe to a total value of
600 € 000 + € 100 000 poured by
the inhabitants of the villages and the
surroundings. This contribution of the community
is necessary in order to them responsabiliser.
It is the indispensable condition so that
the project succeeds.
To conclude this project, we delegate a
staff of 15 people during 2 years which
will work in ankle with a group of 15 volunteers
including at least 2 women. This committee
of villager will be in load of the management
Toilet-Yard. Only the executive will be
paid (3 to 4 people).
The place of the woman is a challenge for
us in this project. It is our priority to
make them take part fully on the initiative.
This is why we envisage to set up a "group
of woman". Each woman will be thus,
in load of a group of 25 hearths in order
to transmit a message and to communicate
on the project. The success of this project
rests on the woman because they are traditional
"the managers" of water.
Our interlocutor did not intend to speak
about the international year of fresh water.
Thank you to Ali Ahmed to have to speak
to us about water in Kordofan North and
more particularly about the project for
CARE in this area.
CCARE El-Obeïd, discussion with
Ahmed Abbo:
What is a Haffir ?
To haffir is an artificial excavation towards
which and the surface water fallen during
the rain season stored is drained, which
makes it possible to have a constant supply
water earthy the dry season. The depth one
to haffir varies between 3 and 8 meters,
it is generally of a capacity storage ranging
between 5000m3 and 30 000m3. Technology
one to haffir (developed by Care) is very
simple. A system of filter by gravitation
makes it possible to purify water, while
an enclosure prevents the cattle from coming
to drink directly in the basin. In old the
haffirs, the water pollution by the cattle
(urines and other bacteria) was the most
serious problem. People often came to clean
their truck or their car at the edge of
the basin the capacity storage depends on
the type of ground (generally argillaceous)
and on the rate of evaporation of the place
where it was dug. The water losses are primarily
allotted to evaporation (30 to 40 %) and
to the infiltration in the ground (10-20%).
Certain families, here, have only 4 Liters
of water per day. When CARE arrived in the
area beginning of the Nineties was to face
a need for food, but very quickly the population
asked for water. Then we made dig haffirs
which proved too simple and which brought
a water of bad quality. We thus improved
the system by the installation of barrier
of protection against the cattle, and the
installation of a system of purification
of water via a filter by gravitation.
Between 1993 and 2003 with the support
of FAO within the framework of a programme
of "Work against food" we dug
200 haffirs. The funds came primarily from
European Union.
To give you an order of magnitude one to
haffir of 15 000 to 20 000 m3 is equivalent
to 200 tons of food plus the costs of structure
(14 000$) such as installation of barriers
of protection, the purchase of hand pumps,
etc.
Construction one to haffir brings money
to the community, which enables them to
build schools, dispensaries, and thanks
to the proximity water to make it bricks
for the houses (to build the hard one rather
than gourbis in straw).
The management of haffir is ensured by
a committee in charge of maintenance, hygiene
and health. We favour so that the women
imply themselves in this committee. Today
the construction team is trained by 70%
women.
The proof that our policy bears its fruits
it is that the best to haffir of the province
is directed by a woman.
Alternative to water :
In the area the population enormously consumes
watermelon which constitutes a contribution
out of considerable water daily. However,
this year, an insect destroyed the whole
of harvest. One notes of this fact an increase
in the water consumption. The watermelon
is cultivated here during the rain season.
It is resistant to the dryness because its
roots are deep. The watermelon forms integral
part of the culture. For example, people
do not travel with gourds because they know
that on the road they will find small gravers
selling of watermelons…
Thank you to Ahmed Abbo
to have received us during one night in
their Guest-house
and show us the haffirs.
<
previous next
> back
<<
|
