Excellent Development - Sand Dams in Kenya

Excellent works with community self-help groups in semi-arid Africa to improve their environment sustainably. Effective soil and water conservation enable improved water supply, food security, health and incomes. Find out more about Sand Dams here: http://www.excellentdevelopment.com/articles/people-amp-communities/what-are-sand-dams

Sand dams are a key technology to improve water supply in semi-arid regions. A sand dam is a reinforced concrete wall built across seasonal river beds - 2 to 4 metres high and up to 90 metres across. Over one to three seasons, the dam fills up with water, then sand, which filters water clean and protects it from evaporation and parasites. About 40% of the volume behind the dam is water, meaning that sand dams can hold an incredible 2 to 10 million litres of water!

Sand dams are combined with land terracing and tree planting to improve the conservation of both soil and water, enabling farmers to grow more food on their land. This holistic approach to development creates a positive cycle of improvement which allows people to change their lives sustainably, moving away from a situation where water and food are in short supply, towards water and food security.

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