GS1247 VPA 150 Southern Ethiopia Community Safe Water

This micro-scale carbon offset project operates in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. The initiative focuses on identifying and restoring broken-down water infrastructure, successfully rehabilitating 58 boreholes and 9 protected spring systems. • Environmental Benefits: By providing communities with reliable access to clean, safe drinking water, the project eliminates the need for households to purify water by boiling it over traditional, inefficient three-stone fires. This directly reduces deforestation and avoids significant greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of non-renewable biomass. • Social and Community Benefits: The project dramatically decreases indoor air pollution, lowering the incidence of respiratory issues. It also reduces water-borne diseases and stomach illnesses. Furthermore, it significantly alleviates "time poverty," especially for women and children who previously spent an average of over 3 hours a day collecting firewood. This saved time is now redirected toward community, domestic, and income-generating activities.