Solar-powered boreholes commissioned in northern Ghana

Various non-governmental organizations and religious institutions have commissioned solar-powered mechanised boreholes in northern Ghana to address water scarcity and improve social stability.

In the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region, CLIP Ghana, in partnership with Acting for Life and funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, has provided a borehole to the Kupulima community. This initiative, part of the ‘Support for Cross-Border Communities Vulnerable to Insecurity and Fragility’ (ACTIF) programme, aims to foster peace between host communities and Fulbe herders from the Sahelian region. By providing a reliable water source near settlements, the project seeks to prevent livestock from destroying farmlands while searching for water, thereby reducing communal conflict.

In the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region, Engage Now Africa and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have implemented solar-powered borehole projects in five communities: Yua, Kazigu, Pungu-Manchoro, Kandiga-Abempingo, and Mirigu. These facilities are intended to provide sustainable water access and reduce the time women and children spend traveling long distances to fetch water, which often impacts school attendance and physical exhaustion.