Over 50,000 childen die each year in Nepal from lack of access to safe drinking water. The much higher incidence of non-fatal gastrointestinal disease caused by unsafe drinking water results in high social and economic costs in lost productivity, educational deficits, and reduced quality of life.

In March 1999 with support from US-AEP/NASDA, Global Resources Institute started a program to increase access to clean water in Nepal through the introduction of solar disinfection and simple water quality testing technology. As part of this program, an initial survey was made of water sources in 8 of the 17 villages in the Lumbini area of Nepal served by the medical clinic and other programs of the International Buddhist Society. The results of GRI's survey indicate contamination in a majority of the sources of drinking water. A report by Dr. Narendra Kumar Mallick of the International Buddhist Society on the use of solar disinfection in Lumbini following GRI's introduction indicates that 5,000 villagers used solar disinfection for a period of nine months resulting in an 80% reduction in diarrheal diseases. To see Dr. Mallick's report, click here.

GRI has continued to work with the International Buddhist Society and the Self Reliant Center as well as other Nepalese organizations to promote the use of solar disinfection .

Based on the success of the solar disinfection program in Nepal, Global Resources Institute instituted a SunWater Program to make solar disinfection available to as many people as possible worldwide. For more information on the SunWater Program, click here.

For many people the only
available water comes from rivers
and streams shared with animals.

Bhikkhu Maitri (center), founder
of the International Buddhist Society,
at an open well in Sonbarshi
near Lumbini.

Members of the Self Reliant Center at a workshop in Kathmandu in October 2005 with Dr. Moulton of GRI