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| The ingenious solution transforming lives: make water run uphill | The ingenious solution transforming lives: make water run uphill |
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| “If water comes out of that pipe, I’ll chop my thumb off.” The scepticism of the local barangay (village) captain – equivalent to a village mayor, in a small upland village on the Philippines island of Negros, was understandable. He was looking at a bizarre device he’d never heard of before, which promised to bring water up a steep slope and across fields – all without any electricity or other fuel. | “If water comes out of that pipe, I’ll chop my thumb off.” The scepticism of the local barangay (village) captain – equivalent to a village mayor, in a small upland village on the Philippines island of Negros, was understandable. He was looking at a bizarre device he’d never heard of before, which promised to bring water up a steep slope and across fields – all without any electricity or other fuel. |
| Related: The three wonders of the ancient world solving modern water problems | |
| The device was a ram pump: an ingeniously simple piece of kit, originally invented by the Montgolfier brothers (of ballooning fame) in the 18th century. It works by using the pressure of a large volume of water falling a small distance – from a spring on a hillside, say – to pump a (smaller) quantity a much longer way uphill. So it’s ideal for areas which, despite plentiful water nearby, lack access to decent sources close to home: areas such as the uplands of Negros and other Philippine islands, where Dutchman Auke Idzenga and his colleagues in local NGO, Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation (AIDFI), work on community development projects. | The device was a ram pump: an ingeniously simple piece of kit, originally invented by the Montgolfier brothers (of ballooning fame) in the 18th century. It works by using the pressure of a large volume of water falling a small distance – from a spring on a hillside, say – to pump a (smaller) quantity a much longer way uphill. So it’s ideal for areas which, despite plentiful water nearby, lack access to decent sources close to home: areas such as the uplands of Negros and other Philippine islands, where Dutchman Auke Idzenga and his colleagues in local NGO, Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation (AIDFI), work on community development projects. |
| Many such villages farm land on plateaus that are intercut with river valleys: they rely on rainfall and are supplemented by such water as they can fetch from the rivers below. Often it’s not by choice: sometimes they’ve been resettled there as part of a land redistribution scheme, or as refugees from internal conflict. At a time when climate change is making the rainfall less reliable, water shortage can be a serious, and worsening, problem. | Many such villages farm land on plateaus that are intercut with river valleys: they rely on rainfall and are supplemented by such water as they can fetch from the rivers below. Often it’s not by choice: sometimes they’ve been resettled there as part of a land redistribution scheme, or as refugees from internal conflict. At a time when climate change is making the rainfall less reliable, water shortage can be a serious, and worsening, problem. |
| When I visited the island to explore AIDFI’s work at first hand, I saw how some villagers got by before the advent of ram pumps. They fashioned a yoke on which to carry two 20-litre jerry cans; slithered down a steep path to the river, filled the cans, and then had to scramble back up under the weight of the water. Hard, time-consuming stuff. It meant they were always short of water – enough to drink, but not to wash properly, or to grow thirsty crops. | When I visited the island to explore AIDFI’s work at first hand, I saw how some villagers got by before the advent of ram pumps. They fashioned a yoke on which to carry two 20-litre jerry cans; slithered down a steep path to the river, filled the cans, and then had to scramble back up under the weight of the water. Hard, time-consuming stuff. It meant they were always short of water – enough to drink, but not to wash properly, or to grow thirsty crops. |
| Idzenga, who’s lived on Negros for over 30 years, had worked on ram pumps at university in the Netherlands, and soon saw their potential for such areas. He developed a simple, affordable but effective version, using materials which are easily available in local markets, including a robust door hinge to provide the pump action, and a car tyre as a check valve. The pumps and pipes are all put together locally, with AIDFI providing training to local manufacturers. | Idzenga, who’s lived on Negros for over 30 years, had worked on ram pumps at university in the Netherlands, and soon saw their potential for such areas. He developed a simple, affordable but effective version, using materials which are easily available in local markets, including a robust door hinge to provide the pump action, and a car tyre as a check valve. The pumps and pipes are all put together locally, with AIDFI providing training to local manufacturers. |
| Like the captain, a lot of people were sceptical at first.“It was like shouting in the desert,” recalls Idzenga. There was a lot of persuasion involved – of larger NGOs who fund the pumps, of local authorities, and of the villagers themselves. Once won round however, the effects have been dramatic. | Like the captain, a lot of people were sceptical at first.“It was like shouting in the desert,” recalls Idzenga. There was a lot of persuasion involved – of larger NGOs who fund the pumps, of local authorities, and of the villagers themselves. Once won round however, the effects have been dramatic. |
| It took us half a day just to do the laundry, carrying it to and fro to the river | It took us half a day just to do the laundry, carrying it to and fro to the river |
| With up to 10 times more water available than before, the villagers can irrigate their land much more effectively, expanding the cultivated area. They can now produce surplus crops for sale, with some diversifying into valuable sidelines such as lemongrass or fish farming. This means more income – many earning half as much again, or higher. And more water also means better health and sanitation: the number of children suffering from diarrhoea and skin disease is reduced. Locals also save time, too – time which used to be spent laboriously fetching and carrying water – some of it by children who would miss school as a result. | With up to 10 times more water available than before, the villagers can irrigate their land much more effectively, expanding the cultivated area. They can now produce surplus crops for sale, with some diversifying into valuable sidelines such as lemongrass or fish farming. This means more income – many earning half as much again, or higher. And more water also means better health and sanitation: the number of children suffering from diarrhoea and skin disease is reduced. Locals also save time, too – time which used to be spent laboriously fetching and carrying water – some of it by children who would miss school as a result. |
| “It took us half a day just to do the laundry, carrying it to and fro to the river,” said a villager in La Castellana, on Negros. “Our children never had enough food – now we can feed them properly, and they go to school looking clean, and in clean uniforms too.” | “It took us half a day just to do the laundry, carrying it to and fro to the river,” said a villager in La Castellana, on Negros. “Our children never had enough food – now we can feed them properly, and they go to school looking clean, and in clean uniforms too.” |
| “Our husbands were so dirty at the end of the day,” said another. “They looked like scavengers … now they smell better. So maybe now there will be more babies too,” she added, to peals of laughter from the women around her. | “Our husbands were so dirty at the end of the day,” said another. “They looked like scavengers … now they smell better. So maybe now there will be more babies too,” she added, to peals of laughter from the women around her. |
| As the laughter died down, another women said simply: “When water is near, life is easier.” | As the laughter died down, another women said simply: “When water is near, life is easier.” |
| AIDFI are always looking for ways to get more ram pumps out to communities who need them. Idzenga is a pragmatist: passionate about grassroots development, he’s also accepted a partnership with Coca-Cola, which is funding an extension of the ram pump scheme to help offset the water used in their operations. | AIDFI are always looking for ways to get more ram pumps out to communities who need them. Idzenga is a pragmatist: passionate about grassroots development, he’s also accepted a partnership with Coca-Cola, which is funding an extension of the ram pump scheme to help offset the water used in their operations. |
| In recent years, AIDFI has taken the model beyond the Philippines to Nepal, Afghanistan and Colombia – countries with similar terrain. In total, it has reached 370 villagers – benefiting more than 220,000 people. | In recent years, AIDFI has taken the model beyond the Philippines to Nepal, Afghanistan and Colombia – countries with similar terrain. In total, it has reached 370 villagers – benefiting more than 220,000 people. |
| Related: Beer and business: the unexpected benefits of water access in Cameroon | |
| It’s an impressive achievement, which was recognised by the Ashden Awards for sustainable energy and this week it was announced that AIDFI received first prize in the RELX Group Environmental Challenge. The latter prize awards $50,000 (£32,000) to AIDFI, recognising their use of innovative solutions to improve sustainable access to safe water and sanitation. | It’s an impressive achievement, which was recognised by the Ashden Awards for sustainable energy and this week it was announced that AIDFI received first prize in the RELX Group Environmental Challenge. The latter prize awards $50,000 (£32,000) to AIDFI, recognising their use of innovative solutions to improve sustainable access to safe water and sanitation. |
| The Philippines government, initially sceptical of such a low-tech approach according to Idzenga, is now enthusiastic about its potential. Municipalities now see ram pumps as key to delivering their commitments to provide decent water supplies. | The Philippines government, initially sceptical of such a low-tech approach according to Idzenga, is now enthusiastic about its potential. Municipalities now see ram pumps as key to delivering their commitments to provide decent water supplies. |
| And that captain? I was assured that, like all good politicians, he managed to duck out of fulfilling his pledge. | And that captain? I was assured that, like all good politicians, he managed to duck out of fulfilling his pledge. |
| Join our community of development professionals and humanitarians. Follow @GuardianGDP on Twitter, and have your say on issues around water in development using #H2Oideas. | Join our community of development professionals and humanitarians. Follow @GuardianGDP on Twitter, and have your say on issues around water in development using #H2Oideas. |