ERITREA: Water on their minds – even collecting fog
ASMARA, 15 June 2009 (IRIN): Doran Ali Osman, administrator of Rahaita, one of the most southerly villages on Eritreas Red Sea coast, zips up his jacket as the wind tugs at his clothes. He has water on his mind.
The villagers, who depend on fish, crops and livestock farming to earn a living, have to cope with less and less rainfall.
The village lies about 90 km south of Assab, capital of Eritreas Southern Red Sea Region, in one of the hottest places on earth, where temperatures soar beyond 40 degrees Celsius.
Water for daily use is pumped out of wells by diesel-powered generators, but Eritrea imports all its fuel, making diesel an expensive option. A few years ago the government helped the village set up a solar-powered generator. – But there are days when the clouds cover the sun, said Osman.
More help is at hand. Rahaita is one of seven villages in the region covered by the Eritrea Wind Energy Application pilot project – funded by the Global Environment Facility and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) – and will be electrified by the end of 2009.
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