More than 77,000 people in Lalibela, located in the conflict-affected North Wollo Zone of Ethiopia’s Amhara Region, now have access to a consistent supply of safe water following the completion of a solar-powered water project delivered by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with support from the German Federal Foreign Office.
The intervention addresses years of water scarcity caused by conflict, unstable electricity, and deteriorating infrastructure.
Lalibela has experienced four years of conflict-related disruptions that severely affected essential services. Electricity supply has been inconsistent, and extended power cuts made it difficult for the town’s water utility to run its pumps. As a result, residents faced prolonged water shortages, sometimes lasting several months.
The ICRC reports that the repeated outages hindered the water utility’s ability to distribute sufficient volumes of water, pushing the system to near collapse and leaving households dependent on limited and unreliable sources.
Assessment by ICRC engineers found that much of the town’s water supply network—pumps, electrical components, pipes, and control systems was either damaged or operating far below capacity. Continued reliance on the unstable power grid was no longer viable.
A solar-powered solution was adopted because it offers:
- Reliable operation independent of grid power
- Lower long-term operating expenses
- Reduced exposure to conflict-related power failures
- Improved system efficiency
- A smaller environmental footprint
This approach aligns with the broader shift across Africa, where solar adoption is accelerating. Over the past year alone, the continent recorded 15GW of imported solar panels, reflecting a growing trend toward decentralised, renewable solutions.
The project, which began more than three years ago, involved fully restoring the existing water infrastructure and integrating new solar-powered components. Key upgrades include:
- Installation of solar pumping systems
- Replacement of worn-out pumps and electrical units
- Repair of damaged pipelines
- Refurbishment of storage and distribution components
- System-level efficiency improvements
With these enhancements, Lalibela’s water supply network can now meet the community’s daily demand more reliably.
Read Also: The Hidden Advantage Radiative Cooling in Space
To ensure sustainability, 15 members of the local water utility received training on the operation and maintenance of the new system. Their training covered solar pump management, preventive maintenance routines, troubleshooting procedures, and system monitoring techniques.
The solar-powered system has been officially handed over to local and regional authorities. The ICRC will continue providing technical support for the next six months to help ensure smooth operation during the transition period.
Simone Casabianca-Aeschlimann, Head of the ICRC Delegation in Ethiopia, noted that despite security challenges and the need to acquire certain materials from outside the country, the project now provides Lalibela with a stable, low-cost, and environmentally friendly water supply.
For residents who have lived through years of unpredictable access, the restored system offers a significant improvement in daily life and reduces the community’s vulnerability during periods of instability.
By Thuita Gatero, Managing Editor, Africa Digest News. He specializes in conversations around data centers, AI, cloud infrastructure, and energy.
