Restoring drylands with sand dams and climate-smart farming

Sand Dams Worldwide supports some of the world's poorest people to transform their own lives through water and soil conservation in drylands.

Communities in drylands (which cover 40% of global land) experience extreme water scarcity. Globally, over 2 billion people lack safe drinking water, the majority of whom live in dryland areas. Women and children in drylands typically spend 6 to 12 hours a day collecting water, leaving women little time for other work, including farming, and children unable to attend school. That water is often from unclean rivers and unprotected sources, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases (e.g. cholera and diarrhoea). Climate change is exacerbating the problem, leading to increasingly severe droughts; in 2023 the Horn of Africa experienced its most severe drought in 70 years.

Climate change contributes to significant land degradation. As soil becomes less fertile, combined with a lack of water, farmers increasingly struggle to grow enough food for their families and to generate income. As a result, farmers are increasingly struggling to grow enough food for their families and to generate income.

As the world’s population grows to over 8 billion, so does the pressure on dryland resources. It is thought by 2050, as many as 216 million people could be internal climate migrants, and 95% of the Earth’s land areas could become degraded. We are already experiencing political tensions, migrations and conflicts over limited natural resources, such as water and land, and this will only intensify as our natural capital diminishes. That is where the work and impact of Sand Dams Worldwide comes in.

Since 2002, we have been working with local in-country partners to help vulnerable rural dryland communities build sand dams; a sustainable, nature-based and cost-effective rainwater harvesting technology that can last upwards of 60 years and capture up to 40 million litres of water, replenishing every rainy season.

That water is stored safe from disease and evaporation within the sand. It is easily extractable via pipework connected to hand-pumps and taps, with one sand dam providing enough year-round water for over 1,000 people. For more information about how sand dams work, watch this short animation:

Sand dams play a significant role in mitigating the effects of climate change, including reversing land degradation. They raise groundwater levels by slowing the rate of run-off and capturing rainwater that would otherwise be lost, while allowing most water to continue downstream. The slowing of water run-off allows water to infiltrate the soil, resulting in vegetation recovery, reduced erosion, and restored degraded land and regreened environments.

While Sand Dams Worldwide's work often starts with a sand dam, it is certainly not where it ends. Once water and time are available, a wealth of opportunities arise. We also work through partners to advise communities on improved climate-smart agriculture techniques, such as terracing, developing seed banks, and planting drought-resistant crops and trees; empowering families to grow enough food to eat, store, and sell in the face of climate change and drought.

Sand Dams Worldwide currently has projects in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and two in Kenya (one in the southeast working with self-help community groups, and another in Tsavo National Park focusing on supporting local wildlife).

We are seeking support to enable more sand dam projects in these countries that will help more people living in drylands to access clean water that is closer to home, to achieve food security, and to transform their own lives and land for generations to come.

Our lifetime achievements

Since 2002, Sand Dams Worldwide has enabled the construction of over 1,400 sand dams across 10 countries, providing over 1.2 million people with lifelong access to clean water. We have also supported communities to dig over 1.9 million metres of terracing and plant over 1.5 million trees.

More information can be found here: https://www.sanddamsworldwide.org.uk/