Groundwater development through water well borehole drilling for resilient water supplies in urban and rural areas in Solomon Islands

The object of the initiative is to diversify current water supply sources to increase resilience of water supplies to the impact of climate change on the water resources sector. The initiative is implement by the government through the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification - Water Resources Management Division (MMERE-WRMD) as the responsible organization for water resources management in the country. The program is in-line with the National Development Strategy 2016-2035 and the National Water Resources and Sanitation Policy 2018. The program is one of the outcome of the Solomon Islands Water Sector Adaptation pilot project jointly implemented by UNDP and MMERE-WRD in 2015-2019/20 where water supply source diversification was seen as one intervention in the water supply systems against negative impact of CC on the water resources sector. The initiative/program is a partnership between individuals, private, public, organizations, companies and institutions who require alternative water supply sources as the conventional sources if un reliable. The services provided by the government for groundwater assessment, drilling and development of boreholes was paid for by those requesting the services. Once completed the ownership rest on the borehole owner. The government is responsible for rehabilitation of the boreholes for a period of 1-2 years depending on the type of rehabilitation. The water well borehole is monitored to determines the water table within the area for future drilling programs within the area. Future groundwater assessments and managements studies can utilize these data to develop hydrogeological maps for the area and the country as a whole.