Case study on water scarcity - weADAPT

<strong>Case</strong> <strong>study</strong> 

on water scarcity 

Janneke Snijders 

Policy campaign adviser water management 

2-3 April 2012 VSO - Program Area Review

Contents of presentation 

1. Background information on water scarcity 

2. Introduction on case <strong>study</strong> 

3. Challenges faced by these communities 

4. Interventions 

5. GBK – VSO involved in water scarcity 

6. Other stakeholders 


Background information 

• Water is used for many purposes, like 

drinking, cooking, bathing, washing, 

cleaning, irrigation, fishing etc. 

• Water is derived from surface water, 

groundwater or rainwater 

• Especially in dry season (January – June) 

groundwater is the only reliable source 

• Nowadays even groundwater is failing 



Climate change 

Less water coming 

from Himalaya Mountains 

Neighboring countries 

building dams 

Causes tree 

Change in rainfall pattern 

Less surface water 

Deforestation 

Regional / national: 

increase food demand 

Less rainfall 

Groundwater 

level decreases 

Water scarcity 

NW Bangladesh 

More crops fielded 

round the year 

More water lifting by 

farmers for irrigation 

Lifted water is lost by lack 

of know how on irrigation 

and water management 


Introduction on case <strong>study</strong> 

• Water 

scarcity is to 

be seen all 

around NW, 

especially in 

dry season 

• 2 villages: 

Sotobokshi 

and 

Barobakshi 



Village 1: Sotobokshi 

• Indigenous people (Santal) 

• 22 households, appr. 100 persons 

• Most households have tube well (50 ft) 

• Most people cultivate their own land 

• Some sell for labour 



Village 2: Barobakshi 

• Indigenous people (Santal) 

• 80-85 households, appr. 400 persons 

• 50 tube wells (50 ft) 

• Few people cultivate their own land 

• Most sell for labour (difficult) 


Challenges 

• Tube wells in households produce 

no water 9 months a year 

• Women, responsible for obtaining 

water for household activities, need 

to go to other places to obtain 

water 

• Every time water is needed for 

drinking, cooking or cleaning 

women have to walk to a tube well 

that does lift water 


Challenges 

• This takes up a lot of energy & 

time, which they need use for other 

activities / tasks 

• Women only bathe 1 or 2 times a 

week, mostly in shallow machine 

shallow tube well 

(creating hygienic & social issues) 

• To wash clothes also water from 

shallow tube wells is used 


Challenges 

• Poor farmers can not purchase 

enough water for their land 

• Crops are lost 

• Land cannot be used during dry 

season 

• In dry season selling day labour is 

very difficult 

• Even contaminated water source 

are used for irrigation and domestic 

use 


Interventions 

Sotobokshi 

• A joint effort has been made by MP, 

Chairman, the whole community and 

public department of health 

• In 2011 a new tube well was constructed 

lifting adequate amounts of water (180 

feet) 


Barobakshi 

• A joint effort has 

been made by an 

international NGO 

and the community 

Interventions 

• In 2011 six new 

(deeper) tube wells 

were constructed lifting adequate 

amounts of water (depth 135 feet). 


Future challenges 

• One tube well is not sufficient for all needs 

of the community (Sotobokshi) 

• Of the 6 new constructed tube wells in 

Barobakshi, 4 have become inactive. 

Remaining only 2 tube wells to provide 

water for the entire community. 

• With declining groundwater levels, water 

supply remains under threat, not only in 

these 2 villages but everywhere in region 


Future challenges 

Water supply 

remains under 

threat.. 


Involvement GBK and VSO 

• Conducted research on water scarcity 

• Organized sharing sessions at regional 

and national level 

• Placed international volunteer as policy 

campaign advisor on water 

• Developing water scarcity education 

materials (local level) 

• Planning to conduct public hearing (local 

level) 


Involvement GBK and VSO 

• Organize sharing meeting with NGO’s 

(region level) 

• Create awareness: organizing press 

conference (district level) 

• Link with other international NGO’s who 

are involved in climate change / water 


Other stakeholders 

• Communities 

• DPHE 

• Department of Agriculture Extension 

• Department of Livestock 

• Barindra Multipurpose Development Authority - 

BMDA 

• Local and national NGO’s 

• Local and national lawmaker 

• Water development board

Case study on water scarcity - weADAPT

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