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‘Water for Energy and Energy for Water’

WISIONS presents its 12th and final PREP brochure on this topic In this brochure, WISIONS focuses on the interdependent onnection between water and energy.

WISIONS presents good practice projects dealing with water and energy in Guatemala, Peru, Tunisia,the Philippines and Tanzania that have been successfully implemented, with the intention of further promoting the particular approaches used by these projects.

Providing water of an optimal quality usually requires energy, for example groundwater pumping, desalination or irrigation. These activities are especially challenging in remote regions lacking access to conventional energy systems.In such circumstances, renewable energy, especially solar energy, can be a good alternative as it is a decentralised source of energy. However, regions with grid access can also take advantage of the use of renewable energy for the different kinds of water provision. For example,desalination of water is often needed in areas with high solar radiation and using the sun as a source for energy is a reliable solution that benefits the environment as well as the economic situation.

Although uniquely designed for a particular setting and problem, the projects presented can be adapted to different situations or can provide valuable information from their implementation phase. Links to the illustrated good practice examples shown in the brochure, as well as a couple of other issue-related good practice projects, are available on www.wisions.net.

The PREP-brochure on Water and Energy contains good practice projects from

Guatemala: Rehabilitation of old micro-hydro plants to improve domestic and industrial electricity supply;

Peru: Improving the electrification rate of remote villages through promotion of micro-hydro technology transfer;

Tunisia: Securing access to safe water by desalinating brackish water with a solar PV-driven reverse osmosis desalination plant;

Philippines: Application of ram pump technology to improve access to water of upland villages; and

Tanzania: Improving food security at Lake Victoria through a PV- driven water pump for domestic and agricultural purposes.

Short descriptions of these and additional good practice projects are available at http://www.wisions.net/pages/GoodPractice.htm.

This issue is the 12th and final PREP brochure. All existing PREP brochures will remain available online at

www.wisions.net/pages/Downloads.

Added 13 May 2008 by Dr Karabi Dutta

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