21.02.2021
In Pembane, Mozambique, the prolonged drought forces the inhabitants to walk for miles to obtain clean water. Still, more than half of the rural population in the East African country has no or limited access to the precious resource. In cooperation with ENTERIA and partners, German-based pump manufacturer Wilo has participated in a pilot project, for continuous and sustainable water supply and beyond. How a water supply method can add sustainability, education and employment:
“Mati Mati” means “Water Water”, which is what the inhabitants of Pembane lack of. A long coastline, vast river delta and volatile weather conditions make Mozambique susceptible to climate change. Flooding, heat waves, cyclones and drought are all getting more frequent and severe. “The idea behind our pilot project is transforming sunlight into electricity and electricity then into water. Together, we have developed an approach on how to connect sustainable energy supply with fair drinking water production and distribution in Pembane” says Marc-Oliver Bruckhaus, CEO of ENTERIA. The Mati Mati project was born out of this approach and stands for cross-regional climate justice, technology transfer and fair engineering. For every kWh of energy shared in the cloud, ENTERIA buys 1 liter of water from the "Mati Mati" project. In spring 2020, a solar well was put into operation. It pumps the groundwater into a 10-metre-high water tower. From there, the water can be distributed to eight different water dispensers all over the village of Pembane. Thanks to intelligent calculation technology from ENTERIA, the amount of water is adapted to the needs of every respective region. By using a rechargeable chip card, the residents can now tap inexpensive and pre-filtered fresh water. This process does not only eliminate strenuous procedures, like long walks with a heavy vessel, it also increases the quality of life enormously. The time can now be used for several activities and duties, like the education of children. Mati Mati also creates new opportunities: with the establishment of a new water supply method, people needed to be trained and employed in order to ensure a reliable and uninterrupted operation on site.
Sustainable development of utmost importance
“Sustainable action is deeply rooted in Wilo's DNA and a central part of the Group-wide sustainability strategy. Which is why one of our seven sustainability goals is to supply more people with clean water”, says Gero Böhmer Group Director, Government & Public Affairs at Wilo. The new units already provide clean drinking water to over 6,000 people per day. A higher benefit will be created, as the surplus water will be used for agricultural irrigation. Due to the high-efficiency of the Wilo-pump, more than 25,000 litres of water are conveyed each day. Sustainability is becoming more important for all companies, across all sectors. It is a business approach to creating long-term value by taking into consideration how a given organization operates in the ecological, social and economic environment. Sustainability is built on the assumption that developing such strategies foster company longevity. The Mati Mati project lays a foundation stone for further sustainable development by linking solar energy and water, two of the most important foundations of life, together in a sustainable and scalable economic cycle.