Myanmar Solar Water Pump Installation

In Myanmar, there are solar-powered battery charging stations, solar lighting, solar home systems, and village solar minigrids. However, there is no data available on their overall capacity and extent.

The submersible pump pumps water to an elevated storage tank. Water is then distributed, via gravity flow, through a piped water network directly to households and water meters are installed in each household. Myanmar's National WASH Strategy (2016-2030) states that communities should provide up to 40% of initial system installation costs.

Solar powered water systems are an effective method of ensuring safe, climate resilient water supply to off-grid rural communities and avoid the carbon emissions associated with a diesel pump. In Myanmar, the systems are being used to replace unimproved water sources, providing a higher level of service to communities, as outlined in the SDGs.

The systems also provide enough water for livestock, strengthening livelihoods, reducing poverty and improving overall community climate resilience. A functioning SPWS is resilient to the impacts of rising flood waters during the rainy season. The main factor currently inhibiting the further scale-up of SPWS by DRD in Myanmar is cost.

The community-based management model for solar powered water systems works well in Myanmar, arguably better than in many other countires, because of the country's very specific social and political context.

In 2019, UNICEF will continue to scale up the use of solar powered water systesm to an additional 10 communities. DRD has a target of ensuring improving water supply for 2000 communities each year. For the most remote, off-grid rural communities, it is hoped that a significant number of these will be solar powered water systems.