The Murr Lagoon community, located along the Oriomo River in South Fly District, Western Province, has received rainwater harvesting units that will provide the community access to a clean and safe water supply.
The units were funded by the Australian Government through the Western Province Partnership's Water Security Project.
The rainwater harvesting units were set up in selected communities confirmed from the hydrogeology survey and the District WASH committee as lacking groundwater sources. Murr was one of the villages identified as lacking groundwater sources and was earmarked by the South Fly District WASH committee to receive rainwater harvesting units.
Each rainwater harvesting unit has four 9000-litre tanks and a catchment with concrete flooring. Murr community is receiving two units, one for the community and one for their local primary school. The catchment can also be used as a shelter, a community hall, a marketplace, or even an additional classroom when built at the school ground.
Murr Village is the farthest inland community in the Oriomo-Bituri Local Level Government. The construction of the rainwater harvesting units mobilized the community, who worked with the contractors to install the first unit in the center of the village. The second unit will be constructed at the primary school.
Access to clean and safe water is crucial for communities in the South Fly, both along the coast and inland. They often experience long dry seasons, resulting in critical water shortages that negatively impact the communities’ livelihoods and place health, food, and water security at risk. This vulnerability sometimes results in communities accessing water from unsafe sources, which can result in disease outbreaks.
Sevese Dimen, Ward Member and village Chairman for Murr, said, "I want to see a decrease in health issues arising from my people consuming contaminated water. It has affected our livelihoods for far too long, and any help and infrastructure set up to improve our access to a safe water supply and help our women and children is a win for us all. My community has also taken ownership of this project, and we are keen to contribute towards its completion."
Murr Village Chairman Sam Steven said, "Accessing clean and safe water is a fundamental need for any community, especially for women, children, and the most vulnerable members of our community. This new infrastructure provides easy access and lessens the time and effort to get to our current water sources and back with their water containers."
After completing the installation of the rainwater harvesting units in Murr, other selected communities in the South Fly will also receive similar facilities this year. Water insecurity is a significant challenge in the South Fly, and current data indicates that more than 50% of communities in the area are using water that is unsafe to drink.
The Australian and Papua New Guinea governments work in partnership to build and strengthen resilience to water-related disasters in the South Fly by supporting communities, including vulnerable people, to have more sustainable livelihoods, incomes, and food and water security.