In many remote communities around the world, access to clean water remains a daily struggle – especially for children whose health and development are most at risk. Solvatten solar-powered water purifiers are a simple yet life-changing solution for families, using only sunlight to transform unsafe water into safe, warm, drinkable water in just a few hours. As well as eliminating the need for heating water over a fire – a strategy that protects forests and saves women and children time in collecting firewood – this innovation sterilises water to reduce waterborne diseases while empowering families, especially women and children, with improved health, safety, and time. Each unit can provide 6,000 litres of safe drinking water every year (around 10 litres every day). Barnfonden is involved in the transfer of several hundred Solvatten units annually, most often to Kenya, however we have made connections with ChildFund partners to also use the units in other African countries and in the seriously climate-affected Pacific country of Kiribati. Using a fire to boil water carries serious human and environmental health risks – it is costly, contributes to harmful indoor air pollution, drives up deforestation, and emits greenhouse gases. So the Swedish-designed Solvatten unit, which is little bigger than a briefcase, is an amazing device from many perspectives. Each household that receives a unit participates in a survey to track data on usage, which can be converted into reduced CO2 emissions. Third party verification checks these records. The participating households also receive training from Barnfonden’s partners on the ground, to ensure the units are used properly and to maximise the health benefits they gain from the use of their family Solvatten unit.
Because ensuring safe drinking water is one of the most important contributions to human health. Most accessible water in the communities using Solvatten comes from rivers or storage tanks housing waterborne diseases, meaning water must be treated. The great thing with Solvatten is that it also heats water, meaning the water can be used for cooking and bathing, reducing the need for firewood or charcoal - a key contributor to deforestation. This also frees up women’s time significantly as their hours spent searching for firewood and tending cooking fires are reduced.
Green technology, household training on energy saving and water management.
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Distribution of one unit per household; training in safe use and water, sanitation and hygiene management; monitoring of units to verify carbon savings.
