Update in Capiri
Thanks to a grant from the Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation, Terra drilled a 260 foot well to provide clean and sufficient irrigation water.
In the community of Capiri one-hundred families rely on agriculture and
livestock for their economic welfare. The climate is however harsh,
with extreme dry and rainy seasons that often subject the farmers to
droughts and floods that limit income. Capiri farmers recognize that
they have an inability to cope with dry periods and have insufficient
water to maximize production. To address these problems, Capiri
approached Terra requesting aid for an irrigation well.
To help increase economic capacity, TERRA partnered with Capiri to
improve their agricultural production. Community leaders and TERRA
developed an integrated project that involves constructing a well,
building irrigation canals, forming a water management committee,
planting trees to curb wind erosion, and organizing workshops on soil
and water management to help maximize agricultural production.
The Foundation of Innovation and Sustainability (FSI)
supported this integrated irrigation system by awarding TERRA a grant
for 9,950 dollars in June, 2007. In August of this year, TERRA
contracted AguaSubT, a Bolivian water engineering company, to drill and
construct the well. TERRA designed the well to penetrate 230 feet into
the subsurface, mimicking two nearby wells that have water flowing at
land surface. At the planned depth, the water level was ten feet below
the ground surface. In an unsuccessful attempt to tap a confined
aquifer that has pressures high enough to force the water to the
surface, TERRA authorized the construction of the well to 260 feet
below ground surface. Under flowing conditions, the well would have had
a valve to enable and suppress flow, filling the irrigation canals at
controlled times. Now, water will be lifted to a cement-lined storage
pool using a windmill pump, and the pool will be excavated on a nearby
knoll to allow gravity to deliver the water to the fields.
Although the windmill pump and the pool will raise the total cost of
the project, the sustainability of the system will not suffer. The
community has agreed to finance 70% of the estimated $1,000 increase in
price. In addition, for a monthly fee of five dollars the windmill
manufacturer will maintain the system. This service will ensure the
continuous function of the windmill, and the cost will be paid from
user fees collected by the Capiri’s water committee.
On September 10th, AguaSubt completed the well. In the following months
\TERRA will work closely with the community and independent contractors
to form Capiri’s water committee and organize educational
seminars. At the end of October, the community will plant native trees.
In November, after farmers finish sowing their fields, TERRA and the
entire community will finish forming the irrigation canals, erect the
windmill, and excavate the water storage pool. By March, 2008 and
before the onset of the dry season, the irrigation well will deliver
water to the community.
To date, TERRA has spent $6,150 to construct the well and for a small
fee has purchased 100 trees. To complete the project, TERRA will likely
contract Agroinnovations for $1,000-$1,500 to mediate the formation of
the water committee and lead the educational seminars. TERRA and
Agroinnovations have successfully collaborated in the past on similar
projects. TERRA will also contribute approximately $800 to help
purchase the windmill pump and necessary materials for the pool. TERRA
and Agroinnovations will monitor the function of the project for one
year and will visit the community at least six times.
- Project Brief
- Title:
- Integrated Irrigation System: Developing Water Infrastructure, Social Organization and Capacity
- Financial Support:
- Grant from the Foundation of Sustainability and Innovation
- Status:
- Phase 1 - Completed
- Location:
- Community of Capiri, Municipality of Laja, Department of La Paz, Bolivia
- Participants:
- Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation, TERRA, the Municipality of Laja, and the Community of capiri
- Cost:
- $ 9,378.00 USD
- Additional Information
- Project Slide Show
- Current Projects