Polish aid

The projects intended to improve access to water, implemented by Polish missions abroad in cooperation with local partners and financed by Polish aid in 2023, include among others:

The project by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Morocco of installing a water pump powered by solar panels and building a drinking water distribution system in the village of Douar Doudad, located in the south of the country, in the dry Souss Massa region in the Anti-Atlas mountain range. There are two retention reservoirs near the village, but the amount of water was not sufficient for the growing population, mainly employed in agriculture and cattle breeding. Morocco is a country prone to water stress, and climate change is exacerbating both water scarcity and water-related hazards.

The project by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Republic of South Africa implemented in Zambia aimed at refurbishment of Katondwe mission hospital’s water infrastructure. Katondwe has been experiencing water shortage for nearly 20 years due to the poor condition of the local dam built in the 1950s. The project was divided into stages and included cleaning the bottom of the tank strengthening the earth embankment, repairing drains, pumps and replacing pipes. The renovation works provided access to safe and running water to all hospital departments, as well as students and teachers of nearby schools and homes.

The project of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Australia intended to improve access to water at the Poinini Catholic agricultural secondary school in the town of Kimbe in the island province of Papua New Guinea, West New Britain. Similar to the ventures in Morocco and Zambia, the project solved the issue of insufficient access to running water, thanks to the purchase and installation of rainwater tanks. The school had unused dormitory buildings that lacked enough water to sustain ongoing operation. 10 tanks of 9.5 thousand litres each were purchased, that gave an additional 95 thousand liters of water (a total of approx. 19 litres per person per day). The educational center had had 6 tanks that produced only 7 litres of water per person per day, before the project was implemented.

Polish local governments are also involved in activities in the water sector. Located on the Vistula River in the province of Świętokrzyskie, Zawichost commune supported Moldovan firefighters and rescuers operating near large rivers - Prut and Dniester on the southern and northern borders of the country. High-class equipment for water rescue units necessary to save lives was donated: a flat-bottomed motor boat, equipment for pulling people out of caves and wells, ice sleds and thermal imaging cameras. The commune also helped to introduce some Polish systemic solutions: the inclusion of volunteer fire brigade units in the national security system and co-financing of Volunteer Fire Department units by local governments were promoted. An important element of the training was not only protecting the population in the event of a natural disaster, but also actively preventing these disasters e.g. restoring retention, which limits fires and prevents floods.