Shrinking glaciers cause state-of-emergency drought in Bolivia

The government of Bolivia, a landlocked country in the heart of South America, has been forced to declare a state of emergency as it faces its worst drought for at least 25 years.

Much of the water supply to La Paz, the highest capital city in the world, and the neighbouring El Alto, Bolivia’s second largest city, comes from the glaciers in the surrounding Andean mountains.
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"La Mazateca" Video of our stove builders and users

Please check this out.  It is in Spanish, we are working on translating it and we will post an English version soon.

Meeting with Enrique from IslaUrbana

We had another subway adventure this morning to meet Enrique and his business partner David. Enrique is an Ashoka fellow, for his work on rain water harvesting at IslaUrbana  We meet with Enrique to talk about a collaboration in the Mazatica, and the new Rotary project.

We met at the famous statue of the Coyotes.

Oaxaca May update

It has been a much too busy week and a half here in Oaxaca. We arrived on Sunday night the 13th for what we hoped to be a full day of meetings with the head of the state water commission (CEA) and then a follow-up meeting with Sr Cajiga (the Finance Minister).  On the up-side ½ of the agenda happened.  We were not surprised as this is the way schedules and meetings go down here.  Typically, you have a meeting scheduled with someone or something perceived as more important comes up and the original meeting is canceled.  This happens all the time and you cannot take it personally (except that it shows you are lower on the priority list).

We came to Oaxaca specifically to meet with the head of CEA (Ruben), Adriana (from the finance minister’s office) and the Finance Minister Sr Cajiga. Our goal and purpose is to finalize and sign several contracts to help the state government analyze the health of many of their wastewater treatment systems and develop a framework and process for the Finance Minister’s office to follow when evaluating potential public works projects.  In the month prior to this trip we had been talking with Adriana who is the head of investment for the Finance Minister.  She helped us re-scope our proposals and arranged our meetings with the water commission and the finance minister.

Our flights were good and uneventful.  We left Seattle at about 7am on Sunday 13 May and arrived safe in Oaxaca by about 10:30pm.  Firdaus Jhabvala (Dr. J) had arrived about an hour earlier and was already checked into our regular hotel when we got there.  It was late but we stretched our legs with a walk to the Zocalo while strategizing about our next few days in Oaxaca.  Our first meeting was with Adriana at the INSO offices to formally meet her and prepare for the afternoon meeting with the state water commission.  Adriana informed us that we would NOT be meeting with Sr Cajiga because he was called out of town.  Thus, we knew the entire process would take much longer then she had planned.

Our first meeting with Sr Ruben (the head of the state water commission - CEA), went as we expected.  He was not receptive to our proposal, as it would take work away from him and potentially change the way he does business.  Dr J was GREAT as he called Ruben’s bluff and then Adriana jumped in and told him he needed to play by the Finance Minister’s ideas.  We left the meeting agreeing we would meet again on Wednesday to hopefully come to an agreement.  Adriana then treated us to a great lunch and we got a chance to socialize and talk some business.

We then got back to work modifying our proposal and budget to reflect the potential lack of support from CEA.  This included enlarging the scope of work and including time and budget to train and gather all the background data that CEA says does not exist!  We then met Adriana for breakfast on Wednesday morning.  We went to a great café that is a coffee co-op and helps coffee farmers improve their crop and value.  Adriana was very interested in the other work we are doing in Bravo Ahuja (rain harvesting) and our potential work with The Hunger Project.  After talking about these projects for awhile we got down to business.  I must first say we were the benefit of being more important. :)  Adriana initially said she had to leave by 9am to attend another meeting.  To our surprise she canceled it to stay with us.:)  We spoke about our new scope of work and the increased budget.  She was happy to hear our plan, and was not put off by the increase in the budget.  The rest of the day we cleaned up the proposals and we found a mistake in the budget spreadsheet we were working on close to midnight the night before!

We all gathered at 6pm at the CEA offices just outside of town to have our second meeting with Sr Ruben. This one went better than the first as we think he was told he has to go along with our plan as proposed by Sr Cajiga.  Still the meeting went for several hours until Sr Ruben agreed to our proposals.  We left with Adriana tasked with trying to find and secure a meeting with Sr Cajiga.  We knew this would take 3-5 days, but as it turns out it will be longer.

To help Adriana better understand exactly what we will provide, we took the CEA proposal and went line by line detailing the differences in our proposal and the CEA proposal.  The CEA proposal was basically a plan to raise and rebuild 99 treatment plants without understanding if they are repairable or the root cause of failure.  We have come to learn that CEA does not feel any responsibility for the failed plants and they are incentivized to build new ones vs fixing or developing a new process to ensure plants continue to work after they are built.  Adriana was very happy to receive these reports, as this will help her in talking with Sr Cajiga.

Dr J left to return to home to Houston on Thursday morning.  Adriana’s original idea about staying through midweek to finish up was much too optimistic.  Since our last meeting, we have been trying to put the proposals in their final form with the latest changes and in the format expected by CEA and the Finance offices.  We’re putting together our best guesses with the information that we have.  We are on hold with Adriana and Sr Cajiga waiting until he is available to meet with us.  Right now, we hope to meet with him on Tuesday 29 May, after we return from Mexico City (D.F.) from our meetings with The Hunger Project.

 Just because we have not yet met with Sr Cajiga does not mean we are sitting around partying!  We have been meeting with officials from Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla (SDBBE), the filter company (working to install the filter system at the school at SDBBE), a representative from the Pura Vita coffee organization, The Oaxaca Hub, and Juan Jose (INSO) to plan how to manage the upcoming work with Sr Cajiga’s office and CEA.

Around town the city is at the beginning of the annual teachers’ strike which blocks most of the streets surrounding and including the Zocalo.  Nelly tells is this can go on for 3- 15 weeks!  First, it is TOTALLY PEACEFUL and it is sort of a huge street party.  Because there are teachers from all over the state, there are a lot of different craft vendors selling their wares.  Next, there is lots of GREAT street food on almost every corner.  The bummer is that the already bad traffic is even worse!

Our tickets to return to Seattle are for Wednesday 30 May.  At this point Stan will return as scheduled and Rick will stay another week or two in the hope of finalizing the contracts and securing the advance so we can start working on these important projects.

Stay tuned for more exciting news ( as we have time to write about it) :)

Rick & Stan

PLU Talk "Suffering from water in Oaxaca"

From the talk Rick gave at PLU late last month.

"We all need water, said Rick McKenney, executive director of Water for Humans.

McKenney kicked off the second day of the Wang Center’s Water Symposium with a talk about the challenges and opportunities with water and sanitation in Oaxaca.

“Suffering from water – this is what Mexicans say when they are dealing with a lack of water,” McKenney said. “Mexico considers water a public right but there’s a juxtaposition and some tension there. How do you equitably charge people for this asset?”

By By Katie Scaff '13

Meeting with the Oaxaca Finance Minister

Juan Jose (the director of INSO) met with the Finance Minister of Oaxaca on Monday night to discuss our proposal to help the State with some of its water and sanitation challenges. We have been working on this proposal for many months now and working hard to secure a discussion with Mr Cagija after we were hosted by him in earlier last Fall.

Our proposal is a four part plan to help the Minister better understand the water and sanitation situation in Oaxaca and proved him with sustainable solutions. Our proposal covers:

• Develop a strategy for water and sanitation for the central valley
• Review the existing wastewater treatment plants and determine if they can be brought up to federal standards.
• Provide the Minister with a framework (technical, economic, environmental, sustainability) to evaluate new water and sanitation projects.
• Plan the implementation of pilot projects to demonstrate the technology innovations outlined in our strategy.

Like many things in Mexico they move much slower than here in the US. Thus, we are cautiously optimistic that we can secure this contact within the next few months.

SAVE THE DATE Feb 9th!!!

SAVE DATE THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9th 7-9PM

Celebrate
The gift of safe water

February 9th
7:00-9:00 pm
Seattle University Student center

Live music, silent & live auction, and key note speakers with

Easy parking on James just across the street

Tickets: $25 (includes a raffle ticket)

Water for Humans is a 501 3(c) non-profit
supporting sustainable water & sanitation projects.

For more information: www.WaterForHumans.org

With roadblocks settlers claimed water

TIME
'2011-12-15 '
With roadblocks settlers claimed water
Ivan Castellanos

The protesters closed Crespo cruise and Allende. Photos: Taurine

[8:01] Inhabitants of the colony Monte Albán blocked access to the Direct Administration of Public Works and Water Services and Sewerage of the City of Oaxaca (Adosapaco) and closed the crossing on Crespo street and Allende, to require restore the water service was suspended them for over two months.

Miguel Angel Vazquez Carmona, treasurer of Life Committee Neighborhood (live together), reported that dependency is not received by sending payment receipts, including rate hikes, which they consider an abuse.
Adosapaco demanded to replace potable water service in this settlement, because more than two months do not receive liquid promptly charge them and their families are suffering the consequences. He said to try to resolve the conflict pipes to send them that people can collect water and cover your needs, but this measure is insufficient for the settlers. He replied that there are more than 5 000 inhabitants of this colony is one of the largest in the city, and should have some kind of priority it is that it generates more income to this agency also raised the price of quotas. He said they indicated that the two wells that supplied the area had collapsed, but they knew that new subdivisions were connected to the lines Sets by one of these wells, although it was exclusive to the colony.

"We want a quick response and demand the reinstatement of the Services so that it arrives by pipeline, but it is insufficient because there is no coordination with the Comviva of this colony," he said. He complained that despite not having the service, they still charge for providing receipts and send them without any discount, and they only occasionally lowered seven pesos, considered a joke. However, he said that the situation remains unchanged and have not had satisfactory answers to their demands even though they have acted properly and through legal channels to seek prompt attention. He said the despair and fell upon the settlers, so they decided to make this protest, because they do not know what else to do to address them.
In the absence Adosapaco care, said they are willing to go to the end, as this service is basic to any human settlement.

Oaxaca - October 2011 Trip Report

Oaxaca - October 2011 Trip Report

Oaxaca - October 2011 Trip Report
Rick and Stan were in Oaxaca from October 10th through October 22nd to further Water for Humans' mission. It was a well spent two weeks that included the following highlights: began negotiating a contract with the state of Oaxaca to provide advice on water and sanitation issues, met Dr. Jhabvala for the first time, followed up with the water filter project at the Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla, checked up on the status of the rainwater harvesting project in the Bravo Ahuja neighborhood of Oaxaca City and attended the 31st Water Forum of Oaxaca. The following covers these highlights in more detail.

State of Oaxaca Contract
Water for Humans participated in a number of meetings with the Secretary of Finance of Oaxaca. In attendance were Secretary of Finance Gerardo Cajiga, Water for Humans, Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca (INSO), Natural Systems International (NSI), Universidad Autonoma Benito Juarez de Oaxaca (UABJO), CONAGUA (federal water commission), CEA (state water commission) and ADOSAPACO (municipal water department). We met with this group for two full days. The first day we discussed the state of water in the central valley and how rainwater harvesting could help. The second day focused on wastewater treatment and irrigation. From these meetings, we came up with a four part proposal to be completed over the next six months to advise the secretary on water and sanitation issues. Within six months (if approved), WFH, NSI and INSO will deliver to the secretary:

• A vision and strategy for water and sanitation for the State of Oaxaca
• A diagnosis (with CEA) of the failed wastewater treatment plants in the State
• Guidelines for evaluating future water and sanitation projects in the state for funding
• Recommended Technology Transfer projects to demonstrate solutions

In addition, Mr. Cajiga briefly spoke with us about making INSO & WFH his "think tank" on water and sanitation issues. We were hoping to have a signed agreement prior to leaving Oaxaca, however, that did not happen. We are now finalizing the four-part proposal with detailed statements of work for each deliverable and hope to have a signed agreement soon.

Per the direction of Mr Cajiga, we spent one day touring several wastewater treatment plants in the central valley. First was a meeting with the municipality head of Etla. Upon our arrival at Etla, the mayor would not receive us, so we went to the old treatment system at the dumpsite to see if they were still trying to rehab it. Shortly after we arrived, the municipality head and his staff joined us. We think this was only because they had received a call from Mr. Cajiga's office. They were very open and listened to our potential plan. We stressed that we have many options available to us to build our pilot plant and one of the selection criteria will be how well the citizens and politics are that govern the site. As you may know, Etla and Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla do not see eye to eye on many issues. We stated very clearly that we would be watching to see if this relationship improves, such that the needs of SDBBE are met by the municipality. We trust our counterparts in SDBBE to give us a truthful assessment to help us make any decisions about moving forward with a treatment plant in SDBBE. Next, we went to Tlacolula to visit their plant. As you may know, Tressie and a group from Engineers without Borders proposed a natural system addition to this plant three to four years ago, but dropped the project due to political issues. We had hoped to tour one more site, but we did not have enough time (as we got lost trying to find the entrance to the Tlacolula plant).

Dr. Firdaus Jhabvala (Natural Systems International)
After talking to and emailing Dr.Jhabvala (with NSI) for over eighteen months, we finally met him in person. The summer of 2010, we hired him to travel to Oaxaca to visit INSO and the wastewater treatment system at Santa Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla (SDBBE). We have been working closely with him since then. He joined us for our first week in Oaxaca and attended the state government meetings with us. Dr. J (as we affectionately refer to him) lived in Oaxaca many years ago, soon after completing his Ph.D. in economics, and taught at a local university. Two of his former students participated in the meetings. He has been instrumental in the contract negotiations and will also be instrumental in fulfilling our six month proposed contract obligations.

Water Forum
We also attended INSO's 31st Water Forum on Friday, October 14th. Finance Minister Cajiga opened the Forum and launched INSO's plan: A Common Plan for the Common Good. Juan Jose Consejo, the Executive Director of INSO, gave the keynote address in which he explained the details of the plan. It looks at the technical, social and environmental components of all potential water and sanitation projects to determine which ones to pursue. This program is a yearlong effort in which the government has funded 20% of the program cost. The project will align with our proposed strategy and give us enhanced input to the plan. One of the presentations was by Inez Barroso on the Bravo Ahuja Rain Harvesting Project. Maria Soledad Diaz Gonzalez, the former head of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla, also attended. We spoke to her after the forum to get her opinion of what was going on with Villa de Etla with regards to the wastewater treatment plant. That will help us decide how well Etla is doing on the social (and political) front when we decide whether or not to put the initial constructed wetland (technology transfer demonstration project) there.

Water Filter
On Monday, October 17th, we attended the Antequera Rotary Club meeting to bring them up to date on the water filter project at the Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School in SDBBE. The club was very excited about our work in Oaxaca in general and about the water filter project in particular. They said that we could bring receipts for work on the project to them and they would reimburse us. It is good to know that we can go over our $500 grant (from the Bremerton Rotary Club), if we need to, and still complete the project. They also offered to help find the right water testing company, if needed.

We visited the school on Thursday, the 20th. There, we met the school principal and the parental committee that is overseeing the school's transition to filtered municipal drinking water. At the school, we discovered that the lavatory water that will be filtered to drinking water quality includes surface water during the rainy season. The water goes from municipal water pipes to an underground cistern. From there it is pumped to a water tank on the roof of the lavatory and then to the lavatory faucets. During the rainy season, rainwater from the surface finds its way into the cistern, introducing unknown contaminants into the system. Because of this the installation will be more complex than originally planned. We will have to install a separate storage tank (200 liters) and booster pump to provide the needed water pressure. We are now pricing out a solution that filters piped water only to drinking water quality.

We have been in contact with Industrial Mass in Mexico City to purchase the water filter. We are getting advice from them, as well as our Board Member, James Fox.

Rainwater Harvesting
On Wednesday, October 19th, we met with Mrs. Inez Avelina Barroso and the residential committee at Bravo Ahuja to visit the rainwater harvesting project that we are financially supporting. Mrs. Barroso is the community activist who initiated this project. Joining Nelly, Stan and Rick was Alejandra, who is heading up this project from INSO. These ladies have taken on this project so that their homes can have water year round. They have been trying to conserve and harvest rainwater using makeshift techniques and have managed to have water now when their neighbors do not. Working with INSO, they have big plans to build a 20,000 liter underground cistern (for each home) to provide them with lots of water between rainy seasons. They hope to have enough water to provide their neighbors with some water when they run out.

Thank you!
Your support keeps Water for Humans moving forward.

PS: You can stay in touch with the Water for Humans team by following us on Facebook - almost 360 people already "like" WFH!

Upcoming Trip to Oaxaca Mexico

Upcoming Mexico Trip
Finally, after more than nine months, we have had a major breakthrough with the state government.

Water for Humans (WFH) will be traveling to Oaxaca to meet with Senor Cajiga, the Oaxaca State Finance Minister, on Oct 10th. The minister has agreed to meet with us (paying our travel) to discuss working on a strategy for water and sanitation, first for the central valley and hopefully for the entire state. This work will be divided between WFH and our partner NGO: Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca INSO. WFH will be bringing Dr. Firdaus Jhabvala (from Natural Systems International/Biohabitats) to help with contracting and municipal sanitation.

Our goals for the finance minister are to do the following:

• Secure a contract to develop a strategy for water and sanitation projects.
• Secure commitments/funding for pilot projects.

We will be in Oaxaca for two weeks working with the Senor Cajiga and following up on our other projects: school water filer and rain catchment.

Great Interview with Jorge Castaneda and Charlie Rose

This is a great interview with Jorge Castaneda talking about his new book "Manana Forever?: Mexico and the Mexicans'
 http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11839

Please take a few minutes and watch this video about the interconnections between Mexico and the US.

Saludos (Hi) from all of us at Water for Humans!

The families of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla and Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City have come to Water for Humans for assistance in securing clean safe water access.

Today, we are calling for your action to make a difference!

Imagine your child having to drink Coke in place of safe water.

That's what many Oaxacan families resort to.

The primary school in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla has foregone buying school supplies in favor of providing expensive bottled water for its students.

They've come to us to ask for help to install a water filtration system instead.

Meet the students of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla and Prof. Rosendo Barragan Mendoza

Professor Rosendo Barragan Mendoza teaches grade 6 at Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School located in the village. Prof. Mendoza said, "Sometimes when we run out of water jugs and children are still thirsty, they have to drink water from the tap and this causes many diseases." He tells us that clean filtered water would allow the school to stop buying expensive bottled water - and spend the money instead on school supplies.

How is Water for Humans helping the children, and the school?
In continuing collaboration with INSO, Water for Humans will install a water filtration-purification system on the elementary school's water tank.

Estimated Project Cost: $500

How to Help

1) Spread the word about our efforts:

via our new site. Invite your Facebook friends and email contacts to join in our funding efforts (by clicking the icons to the left of the "Donate" button on the crowdrise webpage).

Crowdrise is a fast growing engagement tool/network that is helping many great causes fund the work that needs doing. If you have any question about how to join or set up a Team on Crowdrise, please Contact Us.

2) Give to Water for Humans directly at our site.

Thank you!
You are a person who cares about the world we live in and you have demonstrated that by supporting Water for Humans. Our new friends in Oaxaca's Central Valley say, "Muchas gracias!"

PS: Learn how your generous support will impact lives in Oaxaca and elsewhere by following the Water for Humans' Blog, our You Tube Channel and looking for updates on Facebook. We invite you to join the nearly 300 people who are "Followers" of Water for Humans on Facebook!

You can always donate directly at

Water for Oaxaca - Rain Catchment Campaign

Saludos (Hi) from all of us at Water for Humans!

Imagine only getting municipal water once a week for 2 hours!

Imagine not flushing the toilet for 2 days because there is no water!

Water for Humans (WFH) is taking action to help alleviate the life-endangering effects of major water shortages in Oaxaca City, Mexico. We are responding to the cries for help from numerous families in the besieged Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City. They are asking Water for Humans and you to help them gain access to clean, safe drinking water. Here is a first-hand portrait of the human toll severe water shortages are exacting from the perspective of one family in Victor Bravo Ahuja!

Meet Susana Eva Vazquez
Suzanna is a community activist in the Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City. She wrote to Water for Humans and the Institute for Nature and Society in Oaxaca asking for our help in solving her neighborhood's chronic water shortages.

This is what Susana told us: "Our neighborhood was a landfill and quarry before becoming a residential district. Originally, water service consisted of two spigots; over time, the delivery system was expanded. Now, due to population growth, it is extremely insufficient. Last year, during the dry season most residences received water only two times per week for few hours per day. The water ... is not potable."

With your support, here is how WFH wants to help Susana and her family...

Together with INSO, we are building 8,000 gallon rainwater catchment systems - a pilot project to be tested in eight homes in the neighborhood. The community members are committed to solving their water shortage problem by putting in almost $9,000, toward the total of $31,000!


Will You Answer Susana's Plea for Help?

You can help Susana and her family in this life-saving effort by helping Water for Humans today with a $25 donation via our site. Our financial goal is to collect $6,000 towards this cause. Your generous contribution will play a critical role in Water for Humans being able to implement this innovative, low-tech, sustainable solution. With your donation, Water for Humans will bring tangible and significant improvements to the lives of Susana and her family and so many others in Oaxaca City!

How to Help

First, you can help us spread the word via our site by inviting your Facebook friends and email contacts to join our funding efforts (by clicking the icons to the left of the "Donate" button on the crowdrise webpage). Your Confidentially is Guaranteed - Your personal information will not, under any circumstances, be shared with any third parties!

Thank you!
You are a person who cares about the world we live in and you have demonstrated that by supporting Water for Humans in its effort to help Susana and her family in Oaxaca City. Susana and her family thank you for your support! "Muchas gracias!"

See the Difference Your Donation Will Make For Susana and So Many Others In Oaxaca City!
Learn how your generous support will impact lives in Oaxaca and elsewhere by following the Water for Humans' Blog, our You Tube Channel and looking for updates on Facebook. We invite you to join the nearly 300 people who are "Followers" of Water for Humans on Facebook!

You can always donate directly at

Droughts threaten nation’s food supply in Mexico

BY VÍCTOR MAYÉN

On Sunday, Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) deputies said that the country’s food supplies may be at risk. Nearly 500,000 hectares of crops of basic grains may fail due to droughts. 

In view of this situation, Manuel Humberto Cota Jiménez, the Secretary of the Agriculture and Livestock Committee, asked President Felipe Calderón to declare as disaster areas the states that have been affected by lack of rain. He added that the federal government must also send resources immediately to respond to the emergency. 

According to Cota, the federal government’s attitude regarding this situation is regrettable.

“The federal government is not offering the necessary resources to assist the rural zones that have been damaged by this situation. The government must destine resources to the affected states, not only to the states that are holding elections,” Cota said. 

The National Meteorological Service (SMN) said that the states that have been most severely affected are: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Jalisco and Guanajuato. 

The cold temperatures in northern Mexico earlier this year and the recent drought have devastated this region. If actions are not taken soon, Mexico’s food supplies may be endangered. 

Cota said that the drought will have a higher impact than this year’s freezing temperatures. Droughts are more serious because they can cause wildfires and death of livestock, which would cause a food crisis in Mexico.

The GUELAGUTZA in Seattle Saturday June 18th 2-6 PM

Please join our friends from Oaxaca in a special cultural celebration on Saturday June 18th from 2-6pm.  The GUELAGUTZA  will be held at the Dr. blanche Lavizzo Park  2100 S Jackson St in Seattle.

The closes entrance is behind (south) of the Odessa Brown Children's clinic at 22nd & Yesler.

There will be a traditional dance pretensions with the Grupo Guelaguetza, the Grupo Cultural Oaxaqueno and special guests GRUPO AMISTAD directly from Oaxaca

For more information please call 206.723.1986

Water testing at the School in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla

MARCH 22, 2011.
By Our Oaxaca staff  Nelly Fernandez Tellez
I made a visit to the school in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla meet with the head master; Valentin Gomez Farias to test the water quality, receiving the parameters measured were: pH, hardness, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, iron, manganese, salmonella, E. coli, Aeromonas and other coliforms.

 
These tests were made because "Water for Humans", aims to get to install filters at school, and thus the school can stop buying jugs of water. The children will be able to drink water straight from the tap and the money save will be used to invest in material for children or school improvement in general.

 
The results were quite favorable and we can say that although the water is clean, We do not feel nor do the children & staff feel safe drinking untreated water. This is because none of the incoming well water is treated or inspected on a regular basis.  Thus we hope to install a water purifying filter to ensure the greater safety of the children and staff.

VISIT TO THE COLONY BRAVO AHUJA- Oaxaca city

VISIT TO THE COLONY Bravo Ahuja. 
By our Oaxaca staff  Nelly Fernandez Tellez

On Wednesday 6 April, he visited the colony Bravo Ahuja, where it intends to implement systems to capture rainwater for eight families. The reason for the visit was to take pictures of the houses, the beneficiaries and ceilings.We did a route which covered all the houses of the beneficiaries, most of them made collecting cans to sell and PVC recycling. They perform and the collection of rainwater but very rustic, in cans, buckets and all receptacles in which to store water, which is why they want to get the rainwater harvesting in a more formal with tanks and tanks, gutters and pipes.

La Maestra Rosa Lidia Barroso Moreno, who was the first to be approached with trepidation INSO to implement the project Capturing rainwater in your home develops some of the actions environmentally friendly alternatives such as: instead of chlorine for whiten the clothes she wears ash water according to his testimony helps to whiten the clothes and also reduces the amount of detergent you use. It also has vermicompost, compost conventional organically reared chickens, ways of saving and recycling water, for example, the wash water used to water the garden or for toilet, water from the clothes used for washing floors.On the other hand, Mrs. Avelina Ines Barroso already has dry toilet and also recycles water, your house is made of ferrocement and has organic shapes.

The other members of the project are:Hortencia Mendoza GarcíaCarlos Alvarez BautistaEva Susana Hernandez Vazquez .- In addition to her home 5 people live with her. Esther Pascual Lopez .- With her 8 family members live together. Norma Aguilar Gaytan .- There are 6 people in your home. Berenice Delgado Torres - regularly are 5 people in her house.

Each of the women members of this group is very excited and is eager to work on the project "Rainwater Collection" are moving to acquire resources from government institutions and other potential donors have even talked to the president City of Santa Lucia and pretend to have a conversation with the Governor to ask for your support.

However, they are constantly training and attending courses and workshops in order to overcome and be more environmentally friendly.

The new governor of Oaxaca announces a joint agreement with the IADB

Water for Humans has been in contact with the Inter American Development Bank via our connections with the Mexico Federal Ministry of Economy.  Throught our discussions we learned for this joint agreement. The full statement (press release) is several pages long.  This is an excerpt from it.

"In joint press conference with the governor of the state, representative of the I.A.D.B. eri Mexico, Ellis J. Juan, explained that one of the high-priority areas of action of this agreement is to add to the efforts of Latin America and the Caribbean to reduce to the poverty and the inequality,· aiming at a sustainable development and respectful with the climate. In the case of Mexico, he added, he tries himself to support to the states and municipalities in order close a breach of existing economic development. In as much, the vice-president of the sector deprived in the I.A.D.B., Steven J. Puig, indicated that they have worked in Oaxaca and other states, diverse projects, mainly in the matter of infrastructure, that is essential for the competitiveness."

This agreement will help both INSO and WFH implement several larger projects including our black water treatment plant in Santo Domingo Barro Bajo Etla. 

 

Gabino Cué, the new governor of Oaxaca state in Mexico

Gabino Cué officially took office as the new Governor of Oaxaca on December 1st 2010 (which seems like a long time ago already).  Please see the attached link. This election has come at a critical time for us and INSO as there will be a significant power shift in our favor.  Grabino is committed to sustainable development and is very concerned about water and sanitation in the face of climate change.  He understands the importance or water productivity and some of the potential challenges Oaxaca faces in the coming years. INSO has already held several key meetings with the new ministers, and INSO is working hard to secure a personal meeting with Grabino and several of his ministers. The goal of this upcoming meeting is to help the new government formulate a sustainable strategy for water resources.  We (Water for Humans) and INSO will hopefully be able to help formulate an overarching strategy that will allow us (WFH & INSO) will work closely with the new government and implement many new projects

Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution - IPS ipsnews.net

Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution - IPS ipsnews.net

Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution
By Emilio Godoy*

An irrigation pond in rural Chiapas, Mexico. Credit:Mauricio Ramos/IPS

MEXICO CITY, Nov 17, 2010 (Tierramérica) - Without financing, many Mexican farmers cannot improve their ageing irrigation systems, which are essential if Mexico is to withstand the effects of climate change and reduce its emissions of greenhouse-effect gases.

Pressurised and drip irrigation are two leading-edge options that also make relatively efficient use of water and electricity, reducing power fossil fuel burning and greenhouse gases emissions.

These new systems are expensive, but "they would allow us to grow crops year-round and have more jobs and better incomes," farmer Oseas Espino told Tierramérica. He grows sorghum on about 30 hectares in the Yecapixtla municipality in the southwestern state of Morelos.

Espino is one example of the thousands of small and medium farmers who are unable to modernise their irrigation systems.

The most widely-used system is based on gravity, with electrical pumping equipment. But it "generates inefficiency in the use of water and electricity," Nemecio Castillo, an advisor with the National Institute of Forestry and Agricultural Research, told Tierramérica.

Seventy-seven percent of Mexico's piped water goes to agricultural use. There are some 118,000 wells for farming, but the authorities have rehabilitated just 6,000 of them.

Annually, operation of an inefficient well consumes about 200,000 cubic metres of water and generates 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the main greenhouse gases.

A well operated using modern technologies requires half the water and reduces greenhouse emissions to 98 tonnes of CO2, according to calculations by the non-governmental organisations El Barzón and Oxfam Mexico, which are promoting a plan to update the country's farm irrigation systems.

According to these organisations, inefficient water use in agriculture means that more than 80 percent of Mexico's 180 largest aquifers are overexploited and it is already difficult to sustain the total irrigated area.

The total farmed area in Mexico is more than 20 million hectares, with irrigation for 5.3 to 5.5 million hectares, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography. The most abundant crops are maize, beans and sorghum, which require a great deal of water to grow.

Maize -- used to make the tortilla, a staple in the Mexican diet -- requires 1,700 cubic metres of water per tonne produced, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. One tonne of sorghum needs 1,200 cubic metres of water per tonne.

Of the 630,000 registered farms in Mexico, just 16 percent have irrigation and 12 percent utilise unconventional techniques, report El Barzón and Oxfam.

There are 85 irrigation districts that cover 3.5 million hectares in hands of 583,000 users, particularly in central and northern Mexico, states the National Water Commission.

Those districts demand 30 billion cubic metres of water per year, 90 percent of which comes from reservoirs and 10 percent from underground sources.

From 2000 to 2009, agricultural electrical consumption jumped 17 percent. Government subsidies for energy purchases for farming -- about 50 cents on the dollar per kilowatt -- have cost 640 million dollars in public funds this year.

A traditional gravity-based system "irrigates one hectare in 24 hours, while a drip system does it in three or four hours," irrigation engineer José de Santos told Tierramérica.

According to Oxfam and El Barzón, the combination of an efficient well and modernised irrigation would be the equivalent of reducing CO2 emissions by 36 percent, energy consumption 40 percent and water use 50 percent.

Mexico emits 715.3 million tonnes of CO2 per year, six percent originating from agriculture.

Drip irrigation, which directs the water to the plant roots through soaker hoses, and pressurised irrigation, which uses closed pipes and sprinklers to create a directed precipitation, are the main alternatives to irrigation channels.

But their costs are quite prohibitive for small and medium farmers: 2,250 to 2,500 dollars to set up a system, according to figures from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

An additional obstacle is the government's slow action on the problem. The Ministry of Agriculture launched the Strategic Project for Irrigation Modernisation, with a budget of 52 million dollars for this year and the goal to update 22,000 hectares, benefitting 1,500 farmers. But the farmers have to put up another four million dollars to obtain the equipment.

"The cost is very high. The problem is that many farmers rent their land, and the owners aren't interested in adding the technology," said irrigation expert De Santos.

Since 2006, the National Water Commission has modernised irrigation on 599,000 hectares, with financing of 240 million dollars. The goal for 2012 is to reach 1.2 million hectares with irrigation.

In addition, "we have to move towards crops that require less water," like garbanzo beans, vegetables, fruits and oil crops. "The farmers need to be aware that water is a finite resource," said farming advisor Castillo.

In any case, there is no alternative to modernisation: one hectare yields 27.3 tonnes if it is irrigated, compared to just 7.8 tonnes without irrigation. And climate change will only intensify the droughts that are already taking a toll on Mexican farming, warns the National Institute of Ecology.

* This IPS story is part of a series supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network http://www.cdkn.org (END)