SUMMARY - SURVEY REPORT -2019

Water Supply and Sanitation Issues in Communities within the vicinity

of Orokana Mission Station, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Most of the population within the vicinity of Orokana in

Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea lives
a traditional lifestyle. Many are living below the poverty
line with few opportunities for employment or
enterprise. None of the population has access to safe
and clean water supplies as such waterborne diseases
such as Hepatitis A, Dysentery, Giardiasis, Polio,
E-Coli Diarrhea, Typhoid, Salmonella Food
Poisoning, Bilharzia and Guinea Worm,
Intestinal Parasites like Hookworm and
Tapeworm, and Trachoma and skin disease are
rife in these communities.

On top of the ongoing poverty lifestyle and rife in waterborne diseases for these poor rural
communities, additional dilemmas such as; the 2019 earthquake and the recent Corona Virus
(Covid-19) cases in the country (Papua New Guinea) had badly affected these communities and
these communities are at High Risk of quickly transmitting the virus if there be any contact with
a Covid-19 patient. Covid-19 is here to stay and we really don’t know when the Virus will
completely be wiped out from the surface of the Earth. Therefore these communities are very
vulnerable and the virus can be easily transmitted within the Communities.

Poor health hinders people’s livelihoods and stops

them from being able to fully participate in their
communities. Water collecting remains largely the main
responsibility of women and children, who walk long
distances to collect water from wells, springs and rivers.
Furthermore, the lack of education within communities
regarding sanitation and hygiene contributes to illness
and high mortality in the area.

Rural Water Project will tend to improve family and the

overall community health by providing access to safe
water supplies. Access to clean water is ought to be provided to villages through pipelines to
taps, large southern cross tanks for water storage and electric pumps/solar pumps for
continuous water supply to the southern cross .
 SUMMARY - SURVEY REPORT -2019

Workshops and training should also be provided to the community to raise awareness of
hygiene, sanitation and health. The objective of this project is to assist in increasing health
indicators and reducing the level of poverty in villages through the provision of safe, sustainable
water supplies. By then reducing the time taken to access clean water, women are able to
contribute to the development of their community and to their own livelihoods.

There has never been any rural water supply and

sanitation project within these communities in the
past years and was neglected by the Political leaders,
Local Leaders, even the Oil & Gas Developers and
though the Provincial Government. Over the years
much progress has been made in supplying improved
water sources and sanitation facilities to all remote
communities in Papua New Guinea. This progress was
observed in other regions and provinces in Papua New
Guinea and yet the communities in the Orokana
vicinity have missed out badly on the rural water
supply and sanitation projects in Papua New Guinea.

In 2014-15 financial years alone, the populations of

Orokana and neighbouring villages have gradually
increased from thousand people up to ten thousand plus people, as such, clean water and
sanitation is a major problem at the moment. All in all, this water supply project will contribute
a lot in rehabilitation and restoration processes after the massive earthquake destruction and
its aftermath effects.

Recommendation
We are very mindful that this water supply project is feasible and very much
wanted by these Earthquake affected Communities. It would contribute to the
improvement and boosting of peoples livelihood within the communities. Most
importantly the project will add value to our livelihood.
With the current Corona Virus (Covid-19) pandemic globally and recent higher
Statistics of infected cases in PNG, the proposed Bunu-Bugi Rural Water Supply
and Sanitation Project will prevent Covid-19 transmission and reduce prevalence
of other waterborne diseases within the targeted rural communities.

Most importantly this project will contribute a lot in rehabilitation and restoration
processes after the massive earthquake destruction and its aftermath effects.
Therefore this project should be considered as an urgent project by the National
Government.
 SUMMARY - SURVEY REPORT -2019

NB: BELOW ARE PHOTOS SHOWING CURRENT DRINKING WATER HOLES & CREEKS

Photo Courtesy of:

GIBUSA FARMING