SDG 6

Broadening Access to Drinking Water in Guinea

INTERVIEW Three out of ten people lack access to reliable drinking water services in Guinea. With the PASA2 Program, Expertise France is facilitating access to water and sanitation.

With CÉCÉ FOROMO ÉTIENNE LAMAH,
National Service for Infrastructure, Equipment, and Maintenance, Ministry of Health of Guinea

What are the issues related to water sanitation in Guinea?

Guinea has many long rivers that originate here and continue their course through other countries. This makes Guinea the water tower of West Africa. The country also enjoys rainfall ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 cubic meters annually.

Despite this potential and the considerable efforts made in recent years, the country still suffers from very low access to drinking water. While 21 wells were drilled by the Guinea Water Society in 2018 (16 in Conakry, 2 in Kindia, and 3 in Nzérékoré) and 379 modern water points were created by the Waterpoint National Service, including 50 in Nzérékoré, it is estimated that only 31% of the total urban population have access to drinking water, with figures of 40% in Conakry and 26% in inland cities.

To access drinking water, the majority of urban residents have to cover great distances or stand in long lines at wells that have been drilled by the government, NGOs, or individuals who can afford to do so. The task of collecting water is most often left to women and young girls. In areas where access to drinking water is difficult, people have to make do with well water that’s far from sanitary.

Through the PASA2 program, Expertise France is helping to improve drinking water access in Guinea.

How does the PASA2 program contribute to improving the situation?

Thanks to the program, the drilling of nine wells was launched in locations without access to drinking water – Boola, Bowe, Firawa, Kokota, Lola, Oremai, Palé, Toukarata, and Yomou. Toilet facilities for men and women, accessible to people with reduced mobility, are being included at the sites. Hand-washing kits are also made available to the users. PASA2 is therefore helping to expand access to water and sanitation. Later, six additional sites (Beyla, Damaro, Kissidougou, Kobela, Guéckédou, and at the Macenta Hospital Polyclinic) will receive equipment to connect maternity wards to existing wells.

Propos recueillis en avril 2022

See project page

Achieving SDG 6

Clean and accessible water is a vital feature of the world we want to live in. To respond to the Clean Water and Sanitation sustainable development goal, Expertise France is implementing projects to assist partner countries in setting up water distribution and sanitation systems.