Sustainable Solutions

Violet Ruria, Programme Adviser for Sustainable Livelihood Development at International Development UK, shares how communities in the Kenya East Territory are building a sustainable future through sand dam technology.

On the banks of the Kalumbi Tujiinue Juu river in East Kenya, Beth Yulu beams with pride. ‘With adequate water from the sand dam, we are now able to grow vegetables. We no longer have to travel to distant markets to buy them – we can produce enough for our families and even sell the surplus. Our community is becoming healthier,’ she says.

Beth is one of many women who actively participated in constructing the Kalumbi Tujiinue Juu sand dam. For her, the project has brought more than just a year-round source of water; it has also improved access to nutritious food for her community. As well as water security, the project fosters food security, improved nutrition and economic empowerment – especially for women like Beth who can now provide for their families and strengthen their livelihoods.

The Salvation Army in Kenya East Territory has been journeying alongside communities in the eastern region of Kenya for years. In these arid and semi-arid areas, prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall patterns have resulted in severe water shortages, making access to clean water a persistent challenge. Traditionally, women and children – who predominantly bear the responsibility of water collection – have had to walk long distances to fetch water from unreliable sources such as dry riverbeds or distant boreholes, significantly impacting their daily lives.

Throughout the Bible, God uses water to reveal his power, provision and deliverance. As written in Isaiah 35:6-7, ‘Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs.’ This powerful imagery of God’s provision represents restoration, healing and transformation. Through sand dam projects, The Salvation Army has witnessed this transformation in various communities, bringing hope and sustainable solutions to water scarcity.

One such community is Kalumbi, a small village in the Nzaui Sub-County in Makueni County of Eastern Kenya. Here prolonged droughts are a frequent occurrence, wiping out household livelihoods and deepening poverty due to the community’s heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture. With a changing climate, oncepermanent rivers have become seasonal, further increasing food insecurity and threatening the community’s resilience.

The village also faces significant socio-economic challenges, including underdeveloped infrastructure, limited employment opportunities, lack of access to credit facilities and ongoing environmental degradation. These hardships have led many young people and men to migrate to urban areas in search of casual jobs, leaving behind women, children and the elderly to struggle with the daily burden of securing water and food.

Globally, women and girls spend approximately 200 million hours every day collecting water. This reality is reflected in Kalumbi, where many women face the relentless burden of fetching water. Often they must scoop water from beneath the sand – a labour-intensive and time-consuming task that only results in unsafe drinking water.

The story of Kalumbi village began to change with the construction of the Kalumbi sand dam.

By implementing sand dam technology, The Salvation Army is significantly improving access to clean and reliable water while enhancing climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods.

A sand dam, constructed from reinforced concrete or stone across a seasonal river or stream, accumulates sand carried by the river during the rainy season to form a natural reservoir. This innovative and climate-smart water harvesting technology filters and stores water, protecting it from evaporation and contamination. It provides a reliable and sustainable source of water in dry and arid regions, enhances groundwater recharge, reduces water loss through evaporation and helps local communities adapt to climate change. The key benefits of sand dams include:

• Water Security – Sand dams store water within the sand, making it available during dry periods and reducing dependence on distant or unreliable water sources.

• Climate Adaptation – By replenishing groundwater reserves, sand dams help communities withstand prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall, mitigating the impacts of climate change.

• Reduced Evaporation – Unlike open water reservoirs, sand dams minimise water loss due to evaporation, making them highly efficient in arid environments.

• Sustainable Agriculture – Stored water can be accessed through shallow wells, enabling communities to irrigate crops, sustain livestock and enhance food security.

• Ecosystem Restoration – By raising the water table, sand dams promote reforestation and vegetation growth, supporting biodiversity and combating desertification.

• Low Maintenance and Cost-Effectiveness – Once constructed, sand dams require minimal upkeep and can provide water for decades, making them a sustainable solution.

• Community Ownership and Participation – Local communities actively contribute to the construction of sand dams by providing resources such as sand, stones and labour. This collaborative approach strengthens unity and empowers communities to address their own water challenges.

In Kalumbi the community now accesses clean water through a shallow well next to the river, where a hand pump allows them to extract water stored in the sand. This innovative solution has significantly improved water availability, reducing the time spent fetching water and enhancing overall community wellbeing.

The sand dam at Kalumbi Tujiinue Juu is the fifth of its kind in the Kenya East Territory, showcasing the replicability of this innovative concept. With its proven success, we hope to support more sand dam projects in the future, bringing sustainable water solutions to even more communities.

By Violet Ruria