Brussels, 19/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU will support a project to build a desalination plant which will use renewable energy to provide water to the 200,000 inhabitants of Djibouti. The announcement was made on Wednesday 19 December by Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, and Djiboutian Prime Minister, Dileita Mohamed Dileita, during the latter's visit to Brussels.
Djibouti suffers from an acute water shortage and has recently endured a prolonged drought, which has led to a serious food crisis in the country. The lack of access to water has led to recent fighting and riots in the country. Current demand for water in the capital Djibouti City (where around 75% of the population lives) is estimated at 80,000 m3 per day but only 36,000m3 per day is currently being supplied.
The new EU-funded project PEPER (Producing Safe Drinking Water with Renewable Energy) will set up a desalination plant in the capital to directly respond to these needs- providing affordable and clean drinking water. The water produced is taken from the local aquifer; the only source of potable water for the city, which has reached its physical limit. Its quality is poor due to sea water intrusion. (OL/transl.fl)