As we mark this year's World Water Day on Sunday 22 March, specialists with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Ethiopia are using cutting-edge technology to deliver water to drought-hit communities.

The IRC uses satellite images, digitzed maps, aerial photographs and data collected via GPS units to pinpoint areas that don't have enough water. It then uses this computerized map to help design the most appropriate solution and plug the gaps.

Behar Hussein, the IRC's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) expert, says: "It all sounds rather complicated, but the difference it makes in people's lives is simple: they now have regular, safe drinking water close to their homes. That can't be underestimated."

Take the village of Washefaka in SNNPR region, for example. Drought and water shortages are a regular occurrence there and, before the IRC installed a new water system, villagers had to walk for hours to fetch water.

"It took us about three hours to get there and many more hours to queue for the water," says Amina Gubamo. "Sometimes it could take up to 12 hours and so you had to stay overnight. That's not safe for ladies.

"When we couldn't face walking that far, sometimes we took water from other places like small, dirty ponds. People got sick. I've noticed that my children are much healthier now because they have good water to drink."

The IRC helped the villagers to install a pump and a network of piping that feeds water to a series of taps around the community. Keder Husen was then elected 'caretaker' by his neighbors and now has the job of operating the pump, filling it with fuel and maintaining it. Even after months of use, his pump house is immaculate.

Husen says people must pay a small amount to get water from the new system, but this is accepted because the quality of water is good.

"We charge 2 birr [20 US cents] a barrel," he explains, "which goes towards fuel and the upkeep of the pump. It means we can keep everything working. Every household has also made a one-off payment of 10 birr so that we can buy our fuel in bulk and keep the costs down. Some people even come from neighboring villages to pay for the water."