These are our water pipes: Sand dams, women and donkeys - dealing with water scarcity in arid lands

As climate change continues to alter the reliability and intensity of rainstorm events, and lead to higher evaporation rates many traditional water collection methods in Africa’s arid and semi-arid lands are failing to provide water throughout the dry season. Sand dams, which are impervious concrete barriers built across ephemeral streams, are increasingly being used as an adaptation strategy to deal with water insecurity. This strategy requires community participation to construct the dam and management of catchment erosion in order to ensure the dam reaches maturity. A mature sand dam enhances the riverbed storage capacity through the accumulation of sand against the upstream side of the dam. This expansion of the riverbed reservoir allows water to be stored in the area that otherwise would have been lost downstream. The sand further protects the water by limiting the potential for evaporation, thereby ensuring availability of water throughout the year. A mature sand dam is additionally argued to improve the quality of water and build resilience through enabling ecological restoration, diversified livelihoods and the creation of social capital through the requirement of community participation. Through the evaluation of five sand dam projects in five different Kenyan communities, this study evaluates the social factors and processes that contribute to the successful sand dam projects. Successful sand dam projects are deemed those in which the sand dam reaches maturity and in which social capital built during the construction phase enabled further development projects. Using qualitative research methods participants, non-participants and project leads voiced perspectives, successes and challenges in relation to sand dam adaptation strategies. The case studies illuminated the importance of community cohesion and drive, capacity building and follow-up from the implementing institutions. It was determined that these social factors are equal in importance to the proper construction and technical considerations of the concrete structure and are in fact the key factors in a dam maturing into a sand dam.