Pastoralist Areas Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program

USAID/Ethiopia seeks to support the improvement of access to clean and sustainable water sources for target communities in the Afar, Oromia, and Somali Regions of Ethiopia. In order to improve access to water in these regions, it is recommended that additional boreholes be drilled in strategic locations, and existing non-functional boreholes be repaired where feasible and the original causes of inoperability can be determined and corrected. The objectives of this Pastoralist Area Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Project are: 1) to increase access to water for target communities; 2) to improve hygiene awareness and access to sanitation among beneficiaries; and 3) to improve rangeland land management practices. The key intervention areas and activities are: 1) drilling 22 new boreholes and installing water supply systems for human/animal use (13 in Somali, 6 in Afar and 3 in Oromia); 2) rehabilitation of 19 existing boreholes for human/animal use (10 in Somali, 6 in Afar and 3 in Oromia); 3) promotion of community water management including proper well management and maintenance as well as capacity building for managing the environs surrounding the water source i.e. natural resource and land use management training, do no harm training to mainstream conflict approach in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the facilities; 4)improving hygiene awareness and sanitation among beneficiaries through training of Woreda (District) Health Agents, Health Extension Workers and volunteer hygiene promoters; and 5)community and household latrine and sanitation facility construction.