Research, engagement, and education to ensure a sustainable water future for communities in Africa.
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A unique approach to provide fresh, convenient, reliable water
A unique approach to provide fresh, convenient, reliable water
How would your schedule change if you had to walk a quarter of a mile or more to draw 5 gallons of water from a well and carry it back to your home on your head -- and repeat that two or three times a day, everyday?
That's the reality for many people living in rural Malawi. The task falls primarily on women and children. Locating water closer to where it is needed is the motivation behind the Sustainable Water Resources Group.
Proven success
Proven success
Typically, humanitarian projects use either physical science or social science tools, but not both, which usually is not successful long-term.
A well location selected using just scientific data may not be convenient to the village or align with the often-complex social ecosystems. And a well location chosen only by the villagers, may not yield a good water supply.
The Sustainable Water Resources Group has developed a combined approach with a high initial success rate -- four villages, four wells produced good water, and all four wells were still operating four years later.
Science plus listening
Timothy Larson and his colleagues Zuze Dulanya, a University of Malawi geologist, and Evance Mwathunga, a geographer and social scientist on the project, found that changing how you scout potential water well locations can change the entire dynamic of the water resource system. Mwathunga worked one-on-one to engage local villagers in the process.
Using this unique collaborative method informed the outcomes in ways the scientists did not expect.
"We learned that if you just go to a village, do the science, and drill a water well, there’s no ownership of the well from the villagers," Larson said. "Listening to their specific needs, engaging with them, and including them in the decision gave them ownership of the new well in their village and an incentive to maintain it."
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