At the 2025 Stockholm Water Week the GOPA MetaMeta / SMART Centre Group presented the new “Portable solar pump” that was developed in the last 5 years by the Jacana SMART Centre in Zambia based on input of farmers. It can pump 5 – 15 cubic meters per day and in Zambia is sold now at around $220.
We also presented about “supported self-supply” in the session “Restoring landscapes through innovative finance” together with TIARA -SIWI, Tiyeni and IRHA. With examples it was shown that SDG6.1 basic service in Africa is possible at a one-time support of $25/ person in areas with >200 mm rainfall / year.
The supported self-supply model consists of:
- Use innovative low-cost technologies,
- Focus on family-owned farm wells who share water with neighbors
- Productive uses so income generation to pay for pump maintenance
The full recording of the session (and other sessions of the World Water Week) and can be seen at:
Summary of the session
Make African landscapes more resilient to climate change. Examples on innovative finance for rainwater harvesting, recharge groundwater, improved soil fertility and biodiversity recovery including increasing rural water supply with farm water systems / supported self-supply. Results are resilient water resources, restored landscapes and vibrant, healthy communities.
The session included:
- TIARA; David Mingasson explained the Transforming Investment in Africa’s Rainfed Agriculture program. (Starts at minute 2:00)
- Deep Bed Farming; Isaac Chavula explained DBF and innovative finance (GIF) (Starts at 12:36)
- Impacts: Maganizo Nyasulu presented on metrics for measuring watershed impacts of investments in enhanced rainfed agriculture. (Starts at 29:17)
- “Supported self-supply”: a model to finance SDG6.1 basic water service in rural areas. By Reinier Veldman GOPA /MetaMeta. (Starts at 1:02:12)
- Rainwater harvesting, by Mr. Han Heijnen of IRHA (Starts at 1:13:12)
- Summary, by Alex Gerhard Director of Tiyeni (starts at 1:22:53)