China
We focus on rural poor communities in the mountainous regions of the provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou and Chongqing.
300 million rural poor in China do not have access to safe water
YUNGUI PLATEAU: AN IMPORTANT ECOREGION
Containing a striking variety of ecological niches and ethnic groups, the Yungui Plateau in Southwestern China is recognised as one of the major biological and cultural diversity hotspots in the world. It is dominated by two distinct areas – an area of high mountain plateau averaging 2,000 metres and an area of rolling hills and deep gorges. This unique mountain geographic landscape and monsoon climate makes it highly vulnerable to various hazards like droughts, floods, earthquakes and landslides. The plateau is also the source of many of Asia’s great rivers including the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra River.
CHINA
Water Woes
Contaminated water sources
Some areas in China are prone to high levels of fluorine, arsenic and other heavy metals. It was found that 190 million Chinese drink water with unhealthy levels of hazardous materials, among which 63 million are exposed to high concentrations of fluorine.
In rural mountainous communities, the elderly and young often have to spend hours walking across dangerous terrain to collect safe water from spring water sources located in forests and caves on mountain peaks.
Frequent periods of drought
China is a strong monsoon region and subject to significant climate variations, leading to frequent droughts and floods. These conditions are further intensified by extreme rainfall run-off and flash floods in the wet season as well as water scarcity in the dry season due to the nature of the mountain landscape and climate in the provinces we work in.
Absence of proper water infrastructure
Accessible clean water sources are often poorly protected while available water infrastructure is usually poorly designed, constructed and maintained, leading to contamination of water due to agricultural run-off and fecal contaminants. Poor hygiene and environmental awareness further compounds this issue.
CHINA
Our Solution
In China, the presence of a national platform of Student Village Officers (大学生村官), enables us to implement clean water projects under our Village Water Management programme. Student Village Officers are typically fresh graduates chosen and posted by the Government to work and live at selected villages. We leverage the training platform provided by our strategic partner, the Chinese Association of Poverty Alleviation and Development (中国扶贫开发协会), to provide water project management workshops to interested Student Village Officers serving in poverty stricken villages (贫困村大学生村官) with water needs. Water project proposals that are submitted and selected for implementation can then be delivered efficiently and effectively from a grassroots level.
Presentation by a Student Village Officer during one of the workshop sessions
Small water collection tank located near the spring water source.
Simple sedimentation tank and water storage tank constructed near the mountain top
Safe water is piped to schools within the village
With the piped water system bringing safe water to individual households, the elderly and young save time and energy hauling safe water for their daily needs.
