Securing safe water for Pari in Papua New Guinea

Dorothy is a Water Kiosk Operator, Peace Officer, and community water, sanitation and hygiene leader in Pari Village, PNG  (WaterAid/Tariq Hawari)

Meet Dorothy, a water kiosk operator in Pari Village, a traditional Motu Koita fishing village situated about nine kilometres southeast of Port Morseby in Papua New Guinea. Here, Dorothy is also the only female Peace Officer, appointed by the local court, and a member of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Committee, comprising 13 volunteers elected by community leaders.

As a water kiosk operator, Dorothy will support the delivery of a safe, affordable and secure water supply in the village, alongside her other important duties as a Peace Officer and in raising awareness about good WASH practices. Dorothy is an advocate for gender equality, disabilty and social inclusion (GEDSI) and is committed to serving her community.

"I am happy to serve the community because it is also good for my clan... My family is happy to have the kiosk on our land because that is also serving the community."

Dorothy

Like many peri-urban settlements in PNG, Pari is challenged by poor water supply services and lack of safe sanitation. Many houses are built out over the water on stilts, which presents additional challenges for accessing safe water and sanitation, and only a small proportion of households have basic handwashing facilities with water and soap available, which compromises everybody's health and well-being. 

As a member of Water for Women's PNG WASH Consortium, WASH Em i Bikpela Samting (WEBS), WaterAid has partnered with Motu Koita Assembly (MKA) to help address the water supply issues. This has included the establishment of seven water kiosks at strategic locations around the village. The water kiosks are to be operated by trained local community members, like Dorothy, to provide clean, safe water at an affordable price. All the water kiosks have been fitted with accessibility ramps, ensuring they are disability inclusive.

As Dorothy explained, the water kiosks are expected to help address a number of intersecting issues around water:  

"Most of the people in this area have to walk down to collect water on the other side of the road for washing and to do their laundry. Right now the water from the well is only for washing and laundry....

The wells are in other residential areas so a lot of men do not just let their wives go and fetch water when they have issues arising. I have witnessed that....

"I am happy that this kiosk is here because what I have learnt and as a women, I am grateful that this will ease a lot of the problems I have looking for water. We are happy to have the kiosk within the community, and that it’s going to be affordable. When the community cannot afford the water from the tanks, then they use the water from the well, the unimproved water..." 

Although many houses in Pari have a piped water connection, over the years a high number of connections (illegal) that have been tapped in along the line mean that by the time the pipe reaches Pari, there is often not enough water or water pressure left to produce water from the taps. Most housholds have been purchasing their drinking water from tanker trucks and informal cart sellers, which can be expensive. The water quality and safety of these informal sources is also not guaranteed.

Throughout PNG, climate change is exacerbating inequities and placing immense pressure on the country’s potable water supplies and WASH systems. In rural areas, these impacts are profound. Water for Women partners with the WEBS Consortium — comprising WaterAid, World Vision, Plan International, Live and Learn Environmental Education and local partners — to address the impacts of climate change on WASH systems and build a strong enabling environment for climate-resilient inclusive services. 

Systems strengthening is a key focus of WEBS. At the national systems level, partners are supporting the government’s response to the recent Joint Sector Review, and at the subnational level, building capacity to ensure the entire WASH system is strengthened, robust and sustainable beyond the life of the project. The consortium is also targeting direct WASH service users through the trialing of innovative and impactful community WASH interventions and approaches across PNG, such as the water kiosks. Subsequent learnings will be fed into the government to inform policy and resourcing directions. 

By the end of 2024, WEBS aims to directly benefit more than 47,000* people living in Central, Morobe and New Ireland provinces, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, and the National Capital District. Learn more about the Consortium's work and the water kiosks program in Pari.

*These Fund targets are based on partner civil society organisations project baseline studies. Project targets are updated periodically in response to changes in context as appropriate.