March 16, 2025

The future of water: Local innovations driving global change

topic:	Sustainable Development
tags:	#water access, #World Water Day, #pollution
located:	Guatemala, Iraq, Uganda
by:	Nicolas Villeminot

With World Water Day approaching on 22 March, the global water crisis is deepening. Despite significant progress toward a water-secure world, the combined pressures of climate change, ongoing conflicts, and unstable funding threaten to halt or even reverse these gains. This challenge is even more urgent in light of new evidence revealing that 4.4 billion people lack access to safe drinking water - twice the previous estimate.

Children are especially vulnerable, particularly in their first 1,000 days. Contaminated water and poor sanitation contribute to illnesses such as diarrhea, parasitic infections and chronic intestinal inflammation, hindering nutrient absorption and worsening malnutrition. As a result, 1,000 children lose their lives every day.

While large-scale interventions play a role, the most effective and sustainable approaches involve engaging communities around solutions tailored to their local context. This is particularly evident in places like Iraq, Uganda and Guatemala, where community-based innovations are making a tangible difference in the face of extreme water challenges.

Iraq: Technology and Training for Smarter Water Management

The Basra region of Iraq is grappling with a serious water crisis. The region’s outdated water infrastructure, combined with rapid population growth and pollution concerns, has made access to clean water increasingly difficult.

In response, international donors and humanitarian organisations have come together to introduce cutting-edge technology to enhance local water management. The initiative has trained local engineers, including seven women, on using ground penetrating radar to locate leaks, detect old and broken pipes and identify blockages. By enabling the engineers to pinpoint areas that need upgrades, the technology promotes the efficient use of limited resources. It also helps better plan maintenance to limit cuts to the water supply. 

In addition, a collaboration with the University of Mosul is developing a model that uses six parameters – such as temperature, rainfall, runoff and groundwater levels – to anticipate potential water shortages and enable people to take preventative action. 

As one example, a pilot programme installed responsive drip irrigation systems, which dynamically adjusts the amount of water delivered to plants based on real-time soil moisture conditions. In essence, it allows plants to "self-regulate" their water intake. The results? Increased crop yields and improved soil health at the same time farmers cut water use and costs. 

By sharing global technical expertise and building local capacity, efforts like these can reduce costs and ultimately improve water management.

Uganda: Smart Irrigation for Sustainable Agriculture

Uganda also faces mounting water challenges. A changing climate and booming population are stressing water systems. Water scarcity and erratic rainfall threaten food security, making sustainable water management critical.

The country is also home to nearly 1.77 million refugees and asylum seekers, who together make up Africa’s largest refugee population. In the Nakivale Refugee Settlement, an innovative irrigation system was implemented that blends groundwater and surface water from a retainer pond. This approach reduces the reliance on limited reserves of groundwater while ensuring year-round agricultural production.

Farmers play a central role in managing the system. A Water User Committee, composed of local farmers, maintains clear irrigation schedules based on crop needs. High-value crops like tomatoes, onions, watermelons, and chili thrive under tailored irrigation schedules. The community itself thrives by promoting more equitable, needs-based access to a critical, shared resource. The current system covers 44 acres, with plans for expansion. 

By putting decision-making power in the hands of local farmers, this system not only optimizes water use but also strengthens food security and economic stability while strengthening community bonds within the refugee settlement.

Guatemala: Harnessing Nature for Water Resilience

Guatemala's increasingly erratic weather patterns have severely impacted food production, making harvests unpredictable and incomes unstable. As a result, 1.5 million Guatemalans now rely on aid, with many families forced to reduce their meals. The country’s dry corridor has been hit the hardest, bearing the brunt of these challenges.

In communities like Talquezal, for instance, most people rely on basic grains as dietary staples, while some, like Alicia Ramirez, also attempt to cultivate coffee. However, severe dry spells can wipe out entire harvests, and when the rains do arrive, they are often torrential. The parched soil struggles to absorb the water, causing it to wash away - a lost resource in an already fragile ecosystem.

Innovation has recently provided a lifeline for farmers facing drought. A raintree project is enabling crop cultivation even in arid conditions. Ingenious in its simplicity, these so-called "rain trees" collect and store rainfall - much like natural tree trunks - gradually releasing moisture into the soil as it dries out.

Alicia is using this approach to irrigate her crops. Not only is it more sustainable than trying to access limited groundwater with expensive, gas-powered pumps, it also has increased coffee production and her household income. It has proven so successful that Alicia has planted 700 new coffee plants on her farm. 

Her neighbors also are seeing results: in its first year alone, the project led to a 16 per cent increase in cassava production - an essential food source for families in need. 

Investing in Local Solutions

The global water crisis requires immediate action. Equipping local communities with global best practices enables them to manage and conserve water more effectively in the short term while building long-term resilience.

Sustainable, community-led initiatives in Iraq, Uganda and Guatemala highlight how locally driven solutions can foster lasting change.

Nicolas Villeminot is a Senior Technical Advisor on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Technical Services and Innovation at Action Against Hunger. 

Image by Luemen Rutkowski.