Water Development in Nyae Nyae Conservancy has taken many years. The Conservancy is responsible for approximately half the village and game water points in the area, which means over 20 water points spread throughout the nearly 9,000km² of the area.
The first priority was to ensure that boreholes functioned and solar submersible pumps were slowing introduced. However, with over 1000 elephants in the area water points were often destroyed by elephants looking for water, so water point had to be protected from the elephants as well as the maintenance of game water points to ensure they have access to water and keep elephants away from villages.
Water Development in Nyae Nyae Conservancy has taken many years. The Conservancy is responsible for approximately half the village and game water points in the area, which means over 20 water points spread throughout the nearly 9,000km² of the area.
The first priority was to ensure that boreholes functioned and solar submersible pumps were slowing introduced. However, with over 1000 elephants in the area water points were often destroyed by elephants looking for water, so water point had to be protected from the elephants as well as the maintenance of game water points to ensure they have access to water and keep elephants away from villages.
At the same time agricultural projects involving gardens and livestock started to take off and water became a limiting factor in terms of lack of storage. Thus over the last few years all villages have been given 5,000 or 10,000ltr tanks depending on the village size and agricultural activities.
With this water access, protection and storage the community have found a new motivation and agricultural activities are flourishing where before they regularly failed.
Some of the villagers have been asked about the impact of the water developments and have said: #oma naici says now he can make full use of their 6600 m2 garden because there is enough water.
Glao lamacea also says livestock and people can go days longer if the pump breaks and maintenace is in progress, since the tanks can store enough water for them to keep on with their activities.
Koba temi also says there is more water security now and opportunities for people to be clean and healthy.
These water developments have been funded by a number of donors over many years including the MCA, EIF, Redbush, Hui-a-khoe and recently the EU Climate Change Adaptation Project.