Access to clean water in Djibouti is an ongoing issue. Government neglect, especially in rural areas, and scarcity of natural rainwater leave many Djiboutians struggling to find sufficient water for survival. According to the World Bank, in 2026, Djibouti has renewable water sources of only 185 cubic meters of water per person per year, far below the threshold of 500 cubic meters considered absolute water scarcity.

Droughts in Djibouti lead to displacement and food insecurity. Poor Djiboutians already have little access to clean water and food, and droughts exacerbate these struggles, especially in rural areas (pp. 1, 3). More than 80% of those in urban areas have access to clean drinking water, while that portion is less than 50% in rural areas. However, recent developments in solar-powered water solutions have the potential to provide dependable, clean water to many regions.

Innovative Desalination Technology

Lake Ghoubet and Lake Holhol are two prominent examples of solar-powered water solutions in Djibouti. After experimentation, the solar-powered desalination plant at Lake Ghoubet proved much more effective than the solar-powered water pump at Lake Holhol. Arid land makes it difficult to pull water from the ground, and it is more efficient and effective to use solar power to desalinate abundant seawater.

In less than a year, the solar-powered desalination plant at Lake Ghoubet produced 10 million liters of fresh water, enough to meet basic needs in a small area.

Romain Sormani, director of Impact Water Solutions, said, “We are particularly proud of the success of this impact project, which on its own meets no less than five of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals,” a reflection on the potential that this technology has in improving the lives of those struggling with access to clean water.

Impact Water Solutions continues to focus on communities with limited support to create sustainable water purification systems to alleviate issues with access to water in Djibouti.

Benefits of Solar-Powered Water Solutions in Djibouti

Solar-powered desalination offers several benefits for Djibouti, including:

• Abundant sunlight: In a 2021 study, Turkish engineers measured the sunlight in Djibouti to be more than 3,000 hours per year and the solar radiation to be 2,300 kWh/m2/year, placing it among locations with the strongest solar radiation on Earth (p. 312).
• Abundant seawater: Djibouti is located along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, with Djibouti City on the coast, providing abundant saltwater from the strait. Using this solar power, Djibouti has massive renewable resources of saltwater and sunlight.

Droughts are a significant factor of poverty in Djibouti. They cause crop shortages so severe that Djibouti has to import 90% of its food from other countries. Furthermore, market fluctuations in foreign countries, over which Djibouti has no control, mean that the prices of imported food change unpredictably.

However, solar-powered desalination provides clean water for Djiboutians without much dependence on international markets to provide food and water, turning Djibouti into a more independent and stable society.

Funding and Chinese Involvement

UNICEF and the Chinese government have partnered to execute a project to create water purification facilities in Djibouti, which they expect to benefit more than 120,000 people in rural and peri-urban areas of Djibouti.

The project will produce dependable and safe water resources for Djibouti, especially those in rural areas, who suffer most from water scarcity. UNICEF will train local people to maintain facilities to allow Djibouti to remain independent and self-sufficient after the project finishes in 2028.

Looking Forward

Nascent efforts demonstrate the powerful potential of this technology. With stable funding and continuous support from foreign countries, Djibouti can develop dependable and effective technology to minimize water issues within the entire country. With mitigated water concerns, Djiboutians can live more stable lives and turn their attention toward intellectual advancements and international presence rather than only survival.

– Amber Mantiply

Amber is based in Silver Spring, MD, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr