Health hope in water

project on Tarawa

Australia is providing $3.21 million under its overseas de velopment assistance program to upgrade and extend the water supply system on Tarawa atoll, Kiribati. The project is expected to be completed within three years.

Pollution of groundwater sup plies has been a problem on the main atoll of Tarawa for some time. The new project will pro vide a substantial increase in the

supply of clean water and replace the present expensive method of water delivery by tanker.

The project, to be managed by the Australian department of housing and construction, will tap underground water sources away from densely populated areas and upgrade rainwater col lection systems. Reticulation throughout the atoll will be ex tended. Local counterpart staff will be trained in the operation

and maintenance of the new wa ter supply, and the Kiribati Gov ernment has agreed to be re sponsible for the recurrent costs of the system. The project will create a large number of local

jobs.

The combination of new water supplies and the recently com pleted $6.4 million sewerage scheme funded under Australia’s aid program should help reduce the incidence of water-related ill ness at Tarawa (such as gastro intestinal diseases and cholera).

This should in turn lead to re duced infant mortality and better general health for the local

population.

A stirring occasion: In Sydney, Mosese Qionibaravi (left), Fiji tourism minister, and John Brown, Australian tourism minister, stir up the coals for a display by Fijian fire walkers. The occasion was a travel show to boost Pacific tourism. - AIS picture.