Sand Dams: Transforming Lives and Land in Drylands

For more information visit: https://www.sanddamsworldwide.org.uk/

Sand Dams Worldwide is a not for profit organisation that supports rural, dryland communities to work their way out of poverty with dignity. We work with local partners to support communities to build sand dams - the most cost-effective method of catching and storing rainwater in drylands. Sand dams provide safe water for life and the opportunity to grow enough food to eat, store and sell. Sand dams empower communities, putting their future firmly in their own hands.

The need for safe water in drylands:

Over 40% of the earth’s surface consists of drylands (hyper-arid, arid,semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas with concentrated periods of seasonal rainfall). These drylands which cover large areas of Africa and Asia are home to around 2.3 billion people, mostly living in rural poverty trying to eke out a living in a tough climate, typically spending up to 11 hours a day fetching water.

Sand dam success (so far) and Sand Dams Worldwide's vision:

As of 2022, Sand Dams Worldwide had enabled the build of over 1,000 sand dams in 10 countries, providing over 1 million people with access to safe water, and it is Sand Dams Worldwide's vision to enable 1 million sand dams to be built for 0.5 billion people by 2050 (supporting the world’s poorest people to transform their own lives through sand dams, soil and water conservation).