By Abdullahi Lukman
Clean, safe water now flows in Jarra Madina, a rural community in The Gambia’s Lower River Region, following the implementation of the Climate Smart Rural Wash Development Project (CSRWASHDEP).
The initiative, co-financed by the African Development Bank ($10 million) and the Global Environment Facility ($9 million), has provided solar-powered water systems to more than 110,000 people across 144 rural and peri-urban villages.
The project, executed in collaboration with The Gambia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources, is building climate-resilient infrastructure in remote areas.
Solar-powered boreholes now feed overhead tanks supplying 120 public taps and 50 institutional facilities, easing the burden on women and girls who once walked up to five kilometres for water.
Beyond water access, CSRWASHDEP has improved sanitation in over 30 schools and planted more than 10,000 trees to strengthen local climate adaptation.
The project aims to build resilience for over 200,000 people by 2030, integrating water access with climate-smart solutions to address both immediate and long-term challenges.
“This project was designed to help communities improve water availability and build resilience,” said Olusola Ikuforiji from the Global Environment Facility.
“With solar-powered systems, people now have easy access to water, their livestock are better cared for, and the environment is being restored.”
The initiative has had a transformative impact: girls now attend school more regularly, women engage in farming and small businesses, and cases of waterborne diseases have dropped significantly.
“Before, the water looked like oil,” said villager Mustapha Gikineh. “Now it is clean, and our children no longer fall sick.”
According to African Development Bank Project Task Manager Bocar Cisse, the project represents more than infrastructure.
“It is a testimony to collaboration—to bring relief, empower women, and protect the environment,” he said.
For villagers like Sarjo Jallow, the change is deeply personal. “We no longer walk for hours to fetch dirty water,” she said.
“We have water at our doorstep, our children are healthy, and our community has hope again.”
Jarra Madina’s transformation highlights how climate-smart investments in water and sanitation can uplift rural livelihoods, promote gender equality, and build a sustainable future in climate-vulnerable regions.