{"id":11159,"date":"2025-08-18T11:17:37","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T11:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/?p=11159"},"modified":"2026-03-19T15:21:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T15:21:00","slug":"project-flow-solarizing-water-systems-for-refugees-and-their-hosts-through-innovative-finance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/blogs\/project-flow-solarizing-water-systems-for-refugees-and-their-hosts-through-innovative-finance\/","title":{"rendered":"Project Flow: Solarizing water systems for refugees and their hosts through innovative finance"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Congolese refugees who fled the violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Burundi, use a water point at a hosting site in Rugombo, Cibitoke Province, in March 2025. \u00a9 UNHCR\/Charity Nzomo<\/em><\/p>\n

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With Project Flow, UNHCR is pioneering a smarter way to solarize diesel-run water systems while cutting costs, reducing emissions, and improving daily life for people forced to flee and their hosting communities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/h3>\n

UNHCR works to ensure people forced to flee can access life-saving services, including access to water. In humanitarian emergencies, diesel-powered water pumps are commonly used to rapidly set up water services for refugees and other forcibly displaced people. However, in addition to the negative environmental impact these generators have, diesel-powered systems also have high operating costs and contribute to local air pollution.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

UNHCR is working hard to transition water services to renewable energy and has over the past decade solarized more than half of its water pumps through traditional grant funding.\u00a0 To accelerate these efforts, UNHCR has established Project Flow, an initiative that uses an innovative financing model to solarize water systems in climate-vulnerable countries.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through multiple rounds of investments, Project Flow aims to bring the benefits of solar energy to over 1 million refugees and host community members by solarizing more than 100 water systems and health clinics. This transition from diesel-powered systems to renewable solar energy is expected to reduce 60,000 tons of CO<\/span>2<\/span> emissions over a 10-year period, while also decreasing the operational costs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The innovative financing mechanism of Project Flow<\/h2>\n

Central to Project Flow is the innovative revolving financing mechanism, designed to address the dual challenge of high upfront cost of solar systems and limited annual budgets of UNHCR\u2019s country operations. Project Flow covers the initial investment required for solarization, which is then repaid over time using the savings generated from reduced fuel usage. These repayments enable Project Flow to reinvest in new solar projects, creating a continuous cycle of solar investments, savings and positive impact for people and planet.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The innovative financing mechanism makes Project Flow up to 70% more cost-effective than traditional grants and enables operations to prioritize long-term sustainability without diverting resources from life-saving responses.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over 1 million refugees and hosts reached during first phase<\/h3>\n

Project Flow is now well underway, with the first country operations already benefiting from its impact. The first phase of implementation includes:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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