Access to water is a universal right, as humans need it to survive. However, despite it being a necessity, there are still some parts of the world that have limited or no access to clean, drinkable water. While the government of the Solomon Islands has provided its residents with basic water and sanitation services, its reliability and climate resiliency remain challenges for the country. To address the Solomon Islands’ water and sanitation predicaments, the country made a significant step through a project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
With the $25.45 million second additional funding from the Asian Development Fund, The Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project seeks to create climate-resilient water and sanitation systems, enhancing the lives of thousands of people and preparing the country for the effects of climate change.
This second round of funding will assist in covering cost overruns brought on by the sharp rise in the price of commodities and labor since March 2020.
Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office Regional Director of ADB, Shane Rosenthal, said, “This project will deliver safer, more reliable water and sanitation services to communities in Solomon Islands’ urban areas, boosting health and quality of life.”
With only roughly half of the population having access to safe drinking water, access to clean water and adequate sanitation is still a major problem in the Solomon Islands. According to the 2023 Solomon Islands SDG Report, access to basic water services declined from 69.3% in 2015 to 67.3% in 2020, with rural areas lagging far behind urban centers. While 91.4% of urban residents have basic water services, only 59.4% of rural residents do. This disparity highlights the urgent need for infrastructure improvements to bridge the gap and meet the country’s SDG 6 targets for clean water and sanitation
It was also said in the same report that sanitation improvements have been sluggish. In the Solomon Islands, 44.8 percent of people were reported to be openly defecating in 2020, indicating that SDG 6.2—which calls for the abolition of open defecation—is still a long way off and unlikely to be accomplished by 2030.
Only 21% of people in rural areas have access to basic sanitation, while in urban areas, 78% do. Despite this, the percentage of people with access to basic sanitation services has partially increased, rising from 32% in 2015 to 35% in 2020.
The small island nation is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including saltwater intrusion, extended droughts, and rising sea levels. These challenges are pressing on the Solomon Islands’ water and sanitation services.
A UNDP Climate Change Adaptation report says that sea level rise has caused saltwater intrusion, which has impacted groundwater supplies, particularly freshwater aquifers in low-lying islands and small atolls that depend on groundwater or rainfall for their freshwater supply. Droughts have negatively impacted water resources, which have also harmed agriculture and lives.
According to a different project report, sanitation is a major challenge for communities and/or villages on low-lying portions of the coast, islands, and atolls in the Solomon Islands. When tropical storms cause flooding, storm surge, and coastal erosion, human waste, household debris, and other debris frequently wash up in public locations. In addition to contaminating drinkable water, wave storms and flooding also pose a major health concern to the villages and/or communities by combining with human waste and garbage.
The $125 million initiative carries out high-priority elements of the government’s plan for the water and sanitation sector, including improving fecal sludge management, raising awareness of hygiene, encouraging water conservation, and expanding access to piped water supply and sanitation services. Target regions for the project include the towns of Auki, Gizo, Munda, Noro, and Tulagi, as well as the Greater Honiara area.