Sand Dams Gurpreet Dhillon Facts Water. Naturally, Safely,
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+ + Sand Dams Gurpreet Dhillon 1 ★ Sand dams are a cost effective method of water collection. ★ Sand dams are constructed by members of the local community. A sand dam is a concrete wall built across a river. ★ Sand dams are community projects, they are planned by NGOs but constructed by local community members using traditional knowledge of the land. ★ Because sand dams are so simple, they require very little maintenance and can last for extended periods of time – anywhere from 30 to 50 years. What they are. Water. Naturally, Safely, & Affordably. “Sand dams are impermeable concrete structures constructed across ephemeral rivers with the purpose to harvest water.” Lasage et al. 2008 An innovate project that provides more water, to more people. Facts Over 470,000 people now have improved access to water. 428 sand dams built. 1.5 million meters of terraces dug. Sand dams can last for up to 50 years with little maintenance. Evaporation of water is reduced by 90% when at least 60cm below the surface.
Transcript of Sand Dams Gurpreet Dhillon Facts Water. Naturally, Safely,
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Sand Dams
Gurpreet Dhillon
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★ Sand dams are a cost effective method of water collection.
★ Sand dams are constructed by members of the local community. A sand dam
is a concrete wall built across a river.
★ Sand dams are community projects, they are planned by NGOs but
constructed by local community members using traditional knowledge of the
land.
★ Because sand dams are so simple, they require very little maintenance and
can last for extended periods of time – anywhere from 30 to 50 years.
What they are.
Water. Naturally, Safely, & Affordably.
“Sand dams are
impermeable
concrete structures
constructed across
ephemeral rivers
with the purpose to
harvest water.”
Lasage et al. 2008
An innovate project that
provides more water, to
more people.
Facts
Over 470,000 people now have improved access to water.
428 sand dams built.
1.5 million meters of terraces dug.
Sand dams can last for up to 50 years with little maintenance.
Evaporation of water is reduced by 90% when at least 60cm below the surface.
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Sand Dams Gurpreet Dhillon
★ Sand dams are usually built in rural, arid and semi-arid areas, where infrastructure that allows for
accessible water is scarce but rainfall is common.
★ Sand dams trap rainwater collected through the rainy seasons in heavy sand.
★ The water trapped by sand dams is collected by community members in several ways. Some methods
include: using a pipe located near the bottom of the dam’s wall and as well as scoop holes that are located
upstream.
★ A single sand dam can provide up to 1200 people with a clean supply of water.
External Benefits.
★ Due to the rainwater being harvested within the sand, resistance to
diseases such as Malaria is greatly reduced.
★ With sand dams, community members save up to 8 hours of walking
each day that would be spent on collecting water.
★ Sand dams generate community engagement and ultimately provide
a basis for capacity building.
How they work & why they work.
Fig. 1 shows us a visual of a sand dam, with the reinforced concrete wall built alongside a riverbed.
