- Empowering Communities Suffering from Severe Drought in Ethiopia Through Ongoing Water Cellar Project
- The Project Built 21 Water Cellars in the Region, Providing Water to Over 12,000 Ethiopian
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In alignment with the United Nations’ World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (June 17), XCMG Machinery (“XCMG”, SHE:000425), a global leader in construction machinery manufacturing, reaffirms its commitment to addressing water scarcity in Ethiopia through its transformative Water Cellar Project.
The sixth phase of the initiative, recently implemented in Sama Senbet, Mingar-Shenkora District, Amhara Region, has directly benefited 36 households, including 5 female-headed families, by providing reliable access to clean water. Since its launch in 2016, the project—a collaborative effort with the China Foundation for Rural Development—has constructed 201 water cellars across Ethiopia’s Oromia, Amhara, and Southern regions, improving lives for 12,000 people.
Africa, particularly Ethiopia, is experiencing escalating climate disruptions, with droughts growing increasingly frequent, severe, and prolonged due to global warming. By 2023, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports that the Horn of Africa has endured five consecutive failed rainy seasons, leaving Ethiopia among the most critically affected nations.
The humanitarian toll is staggering. A recent Multiagency Meher seasonal assessment from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) found the drought has affected nearly 1.7 million people on agricultural productivity, exacerbating food insecurity and malnutrition, as well as human and livestock losses. Women and children bear the heaviest burden, often trekking up to 12 hours daily in search of water—a devastating cycle that exacerbates gender inequality and disrupts education.
The Africa Water Cellar Project introduces Chinese rainwater harvesting technology, enabling communities to collect and filter rainwater during the wet season for use in dry periods. This “blood-making” (self-sustaining) approach reduces water retrieval time, supports agricultural activities, and ensures safer drinking water for families and livestock.
In 2019, XCMG expanded its efforts with the Clean Water Project, installing 23 ultrafiltration systems, 157 drinking stations, and 152 handwashing stations across 20 schools in Addis Ababa, benefiting over 23,000 students. These facilities not only provide clean water but also promote hygiene education, safeguarding health in vulnerable communities.
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