In the arid expanse of Tharparkar region of Sindh, Pakistan, the land is parched, and the desert stretches endlessly. Scarcity defines existence, and shapes every facet of daily life. Over 80% of the population this semi-arid region of the Thar Desert lacks access to safe drinking water, and poor sanitation heightens the risk of health crises.

This forbidding landscape means that Tharparkar is a place where water is not just a resource— it is the key to survival. Women and girls who are the backbone of their communities, bear the brunt of this challenge, and spend countless hours each day in search of water. Sources are often distant, brackish, or the wells too deep to easily access, forcing these women and girls into an exhausting and time-consuming pursuit of this precious resource.

This relentless battle for water consumes every moment, and leaves no room for home, health, hygiene, or education. It presents a ceaseless struggle for survival that robs these women and girls of life’s most basic necessities. And because they spend most of their time securing water, they face a cascade of additional challenges: poor sanitation, limited education, and a future of diminished opportunities, all of which deeply impact their long-term health and prosperity.

In 2016, the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) partnered with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to address these water scarcity and health disparities in Tharparkar. With a small budget, the project focused on installing solar-powered water pumps (SPWPs) in ten remote communities, primarily minority populations.

This initiative aimed not only to provide sustainable water access for the region, but also to improve health and hygiene, particularly for women and girls. The project included health education programs on hygiene, raising awareness and improving sanitation. Village committees also were formed to manage the pumps, ensuring long-term sustainability and local ownership, making a lasting impact on the region.

Addressing an Acute Need

Women who bear the responsibility of fetching water in this region of Pakistan spend up to 10 hours daily walking to wells at least 3 kilometers away. Some of these wells run as deep as 300 meters. It is an exhausting task that robs them of time for other productive activities, and puts stringent limits on their ability to care for their families, creating impacts on health, economic contribution, and overall well-being.

The region’s ethnic diversity also plays a role. A predominantly Hindu community (alongside a significant Muslim population) faces all of these challenges in a context of extreme water scarcity. Rural areas in particular suffer from poor health, limited educational opportunities, and entrenched gender inequality, and women and children living there are the most affected by these conditions.

A lack of clean water in Tharparkar also leads to the spread of waterborne diseases, further overwhelming the fragile healthcare system. Thus, sustainable solutions (such as solar-powered water pumps) offer a climate-friendly, long-term way to provide reliable access to clean water, promote hygiene awareness, and help break the cycle of poverty and poor health.

Assessing Impacts

The results of the intervention by CRC and PRCS in 2016 to install solar water technology were overwhelmingly positive. An evaluation conducted at the end of the project in 2019 revealed that these installations resulted in a significant reduction in the time women and girls spent collecting water.

This study stated that the average time required to collect water each day decreased from 3.7 hours to just 32 minutes. It was a time savings that allowed women to dedicate more time to other important activities, such as household chores, education, and childcare.

From a public health perspective, the evaluation also noted that the incidence of common diseases like diarrhea, cholera, malaria, and typhoid—which had previously been widespread—dropped significantly as well. 100% of respondents to the study from two villages reported that these diseases were no longer common in their households, demonstrating the projects’ positive health impact.

Seven years after the project’s completion, a CRC team visited three villages to assess the solar-powered pumps’ functionality and hygiene practices in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and PRCS. While the infrastructure did show signs of wear, the community had taken significant ownership of that challenge to find local solutions for repairs. In one case, a pump’s battery failure was resolved locally. Overuse of another pump led to brackish water, thus prompting the community to use traditional wells for drinking while maintaining the pumps for other purposes.

Transformative Practices and New Challenges

The clean water obtained as a result of the 2016 project also improved hygiene practices including handwashing and boiling water, reducing waterborne diseases and easing the burden of water collection. Yet challenges do remain despite the overall advances.  Addressing them would further improve women’s health, dignity, and overall quality of life.

Contamination from animal water sources and a lack of regular water quality testing are two significant issues. And a government public health engineering department overwhelmed with other duties, could not consistently monitor or maintain the pumps. It is hoped that providing communities with basic water testing knowledge could fill this gap and help ensure water safety, in a way similar to the collective solutions found for technological issues. Challenges such as open defecation and lack of menstrual hygiene education also persist.

Yet tangible improvements were much in evidence. In addition to water access, the solar water pump project improved social cohesion and gender equality. As women spent less time collecting water, they engaged more intensely in community activities—including sending children (and particularly girls) to school. This shift both empowered women and girls, helping break a stubborn cycle of poverty. A raised awareness of gender issues also was accomplished. Women in the region identified local support pathways for sexual and gender-based violence, marking a shift in attitudes toward gender roles.

The experience in Tharparkar highlights the transformative potential of solar-powered water pumps and community-driven initiatives in addressing critical water scarcity. By integrating water access with health education and fostering community involvement, this project made a lasting impact on the well-being of the local population. It demonstrates that sustainable, renewable energy solutions, combined with community empowerment, can significantly improve living conditions in rural and arid regions.

The project’s success also provides valuable lessons for future interventions, emphasizing the importance of community ownership, local problem-solving, and the need for continued support for rural development. With minimal investment, this project has transformed the lives of communities in Tharparkar, particularly women and children. It illustrates the profound impact of small-scale, sustainable interventions on long-term development and social change.