Why is the monsoon so important?

With the monsoon set to arrive in Rajasthan in the next fortnight, we look at what makes it so important.

With the rain seen in the UK over the last week, it’s hard to imagine the heatwave currently going on in India as they wait for the arrival of the south-west monsoon. These rains typically account for 90% of Rajasthan’s annual rainfall but are not guaranteed. In this week’s blog, we look at how important the monsoon is and what we, at WaterHarvest, can do about the increasing unpredictability of weather to ensure enough water for all.

Going behind-the-scenes

Financial management might not be glamorous, but is the key to WaterHarvest’s impact

This week’s blog highlights the importance of financial management and the role of Dinesh Sharma, the finance manager in our India office. Whilst Dinesh’s work is often in the background, it is fundamental to ensuring the impact of our donors’ money is maximised. At WaterHarvest, we continually evaluate our systems and processes to ensure strong financial management, whilst also trying to make reporting simple for our partners.

On the ground in India

Dinesh Sharma has been finance manager of WaterHarvest India for 12 years.

Our first ever UNESCO Water Conference

Water can be a source of conflict. It should be a source of peace.

This week our CEO, Nicola Floyd, attended the UNESCO International Water Conference in Paris. With over 37 government ministers, 1,000 scientists and water experts, 126 countries and many young people represented, this was an opportunity to take stock of how much progress has been made in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6: Water and Sanitation for all. Currently, over 1.8 billion lack access to clean water and there are five million deaths from waterborne diseases every year. As the astronaut Ron Garan said when he looked down on earth,

Handpumps – small but significant

Somendra Sharma, WaterHarvest’s India Office Programme Manager, explains why handpumps are so important

In regions facing a water deficit, Roof Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RRWHS) are a vital way of providing cleaner drinking water to families in our project villages. However, the safety of this water must be ensured – improving the quality of the water is as important as increasing the quantity. Handpumps, therefore, play a vital role in making the water from a RRWHS safer, and this blog explains how the two solutions can work in tandem.

The next year

WaterHarvest’s Chair, Neil Mehta, looks to the year ahead

With the end of the fiscal year in March, Spring is always a time when, at WaterHarvest, we look to the year ahead. This is always an exciting time – where we take our heads out of the spreadsheets and look at the bigger picture. Where do we want to be in one year’s time?  In five year’s time? In ten year’s time? We continually think about the people we are trying to help, how things are changing for them and how we can best help as many of them as possible.

The life-changing impact of clean water

The story of Shravan Lal’s family shows how clean water can transform lives

In 2014 we wrote a piece about Shravan Lal, a farmer whose involvement in one of our projects allowed him to install a rainwater harvesting system in his home. Five years later, it is clear that this solution has had a huge impact on not only his life, but those of his daughters. Here, we highlight the potential of clean water and long-term, sustainable solutions for changing the lives of families in rural India and breaking the cycle of poverty.

Thoughts from the field

Om Prakash Sharma, WaterHarvest’s India director, shares his views on the charity’s achievements eighteen years after joining

It was exactly 18 years ago, on 1st April 2001, that I joined WaterHarvest. The journey has been an inspirational and motivating one. When I look back at all these years I always think how lucky I am that I got the job which I love: supporting the poorest of poor with compassion and love, but above all working with an organisation which has a very strong ethos and values.

Wise Water Solutions in Rajasthan

WaterHarvest’s collaborative book is available now

Across the Indian state of Rajasthan, the local people have developed a profound understanding about water and a wealth of wisdom concerning its management. The water management solutions represent the distilled wisdom of centuries of innovation, closely adapted to local needs, changing climatic, geographical and cultural conditions and the ways that people collaborate for survival and wellbeing. Now, WaterHarvest and its partners in the UK and India have drawn attention to thirty different water harvesting structures in their collaborative book, Wise Water Solutions in Rajasthan, 

Leaving No-one Behind

Today is World Water Day

22nd March marks World Water Day: a UN initiative which provides the opportunity for countries around the globe to appreciate the value of life-giving water, learn about water-related and sustainability issues and encourage people to take action. This year’s theme is ‘leaving no-one behind’, highlighting how people are often being disadvantaged in their ability to access water because of, for instance, their sex or disability. It is vital that everyone’s basic human right of access to safe water and sanitation is realised, as fresh water is essential for life,

WaterHavest begins crowdfunding

Can you help us in our first crowdfunding campaign?

Crowdfunding first came to many people’s attention during Obama’s 2008 presidential bid. Through his grassroots campaign, Obama reached out to everyday Americans who then donated ‘small’ amounts of $10 or $20. Since then, communities around the world have raised significant sums for projects close to their hearts. Crowdfunding engages and empowers people to get involved in causes that they believe in and, at WaterHarvest, we have just launched our first crowdfunding campaign to provide 18 farmers with a drip irrigation system to lift them and their families out of poverty.