Heavy drinker: agriculture uses 70 percent of available worldwide groundwater. 20 percent flow into industries, 10 percent to private households.
The growing world population and the increase of resource-intensive lifestyles are contributing to water scarcity. Particularly affected are MENA (Middle East and North Africa), China and India
Over 840 Million people are undernourished. Approximately 4,600 litres of water per day are necessary to provide the energy requirements of ca. 3,000 calories per person per day.
Sustainable and guaranteed nutrition for every person requires efficiency in production, sufficiency in lifestyles, and the stability of long-term secured fresh water use.
Read more...Martin Fisher - social entrepreneur and co-founder of Kickstart International, tells in an interview how an irrigation pump has benefited the life of a Kenyan woman.
They are everything but still: Our experts share their experience from the field.
Dr. Lena Partzsch, water expert from the work group GETIDOS (“Getting things done sustainably”) at Greifswald University, provides a situation update and challenges users to do some serious rethinking. Read more...
The areas affected by water problems vary radically, as do their solutions.
Tread at the bottom, pump at the top: The Money Maker Irrigation Pump from the organisation Kickstart sounds enticing. Almost 100,000 small farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa have already invested in the technology. Rightly so? Read more...
Work like an Egyptian: exploitative working conditions can be reduced through a combination of educational and health measures. That’s what SEKEM is doing. Read more...
To improve groundwater levels, the Indian initiative “Barefoot College” uses rainwater. Other lands are now adopting this exemplary model. Read more...
The use of rainwater allows small family-run farms in Kenya to vary their crops and increase their earnings. This especially helps small farms in drought-prone regions to acquire a solid economic foundation.
Support the village of Nuevo Ayacucho, to help them to help themselves improve their living situations by, for example, generating humus from organic waste.
1 Elementary school will get access to clean drinking water by building a roof-raintrap.
Here you find relevant information about the topic of water for donors and project managers.
The following questions can help to make a project watertight.
Sustainability
Does the use of groundwater conform to the rate of regeneration?
Is the possibility to collect rainwater considered and applied?
Will potentially negative ecological side effects (such as fertilizers and pesticides) be sufficiently tested?
Is the long-term use certain? Can instruments be maintained and repaired for minimal costs by local workers?
Is the financial longevity of the project ensured?
Local Participation
Are residents integrated, including women, children and those without land or with low status?
Are the technologies suitable to the geographic, social and cultural features of the region?
Rights, Administration
Who will be responsible? Can the project continue without external organisation?
Could the project support unfair employment?
Will corruption and exclusion be avoided as much as possible?
Impact
Can the impact of the project be assessed and evaluated?