5 ms·

not satellite but more info https://thewaterproject.org/sand-dams https://thewaterproject.org/sand-dams theyve built 1000 of them at least https://knowledge.u

• geezerjay 8y ago
  Those links only show marketing content devised to ask for nore donations. If they've indeed buillt over 1000 sand dams over the past half dozen years then they should have plenty of info demonstrating their effectiveness. However, their sites show nothing.
  • ronilan 8y ago
    Map/Satellite and dozens of face-level photos for each project: https://thewaterproject.org/our-water-projects https://thewaterproject.org/our-water-projects It's actually amazing in scope.
    • smpetrey 8y ago
      Piggybacking to post this PDF. It's titled, "Practical Guide to Sand Dam Implementation." Very thorough. http://www.bebuffered.com/downloads/PracticalGuidetoSandDamImplementation_April_2011.pdf http://www.bebuffered.com/downloads/PracticalGuidetoSandDamI...
    • PeterTWP 8y ago
      These are without a doubt some of our most impressive and impactful work. I just returned from one of our mature (1.5yrs old) sand dam sites this past month. The community has huge terraced gardens up both sides and a hand pumped well that has not gone dry (it's sunk directly into the sand bed) for a year. This is in the middle of a desperate 3-yr drought. Everything else around is dry. They are not an anomaly. We hear similar news from the other sites as well. Here's a quick link to the 90 or so we've worked on with our local teams. Google Earth recently updated their SAT pics, so many of these are highly visible in great resolution from an objective observer. https://thewaterproject.org/water-project-catalog?q=&hPP=15&idx=Water_Projects&p=0&dFR%5BCountry%5D%5B0%5D=Kenya&dFR%5BProject%20Type%5D%5B0%5D=Sand%20Dam&dFR%5BStatus%5D%5B0%5D=Completed https://thewaterproject.org/water-project-catalog?q=&hPP=15&...
      • TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
        Are you familiar with Hügelkultur? I wonder if they'd be of any utility in conjunction with the sand damns. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%BCgelkultur https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%BCgelkultur
        • dwiel 8y ago
          The problem is there isn't much biomass in the desert to bury.
          • TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
            Good point. I wonder if it is an input worth importing?
            • Jedd 8y ago
              My gut feeling is 'probably not'. A variety of reasons spring to mind. It's unproven (most support is anecdotal, with few if any rigorous studies available), possibly performs no better than bunds / swales / keyline, requires a lot of maintenance (rebuild every few years), is better for short-term crops than the preferred tree / forest crops for these sites that will be more resilient to regular droughts, risk of introducing non-native pest species.
              • thinkcontext 8y ago
                I've heard of efforts to "jumpstart" a system through usage of a one time organic import. Geoff Lawton's project in Jordan of Greening the Desert fame comes to mind. Also there are expeyyriments in applying compost from the Marin Carbon project.
                • Jedd 8y ago
                  You're absolutely right. I've even heard senior permaculture types suggest superphosphate for use as a one-hit kick-starter .. but as I say, Hügelkultur is not a particularly well proven method, and I suspect its primary benefits are enjoyed in an area with regular & frequent rainfalls. For bang-for-back (or bang per kilogram, as transport may be the biggest expense in these environments) something like biochar would be a good import. Guaranteed pest-free, lightweight, hard to make on-site, etc. Nutrient loss won't be as severe as in a heavy rainfall environment, but what little there is here you'd want to lock up before the next big rains.