EWB-GWU - Bhutiya, India Water Management Project

In the village of Bhutiya, within the Udaipur region of India, community members increasingly experience water and subsequent food insecurity during their dry season. Such harms people’s livelihoods, health, and the region’s economic stability. This disruption is due to the exacerbated effects of climate change and a lack of comprehensive water management systems for their production of agriculture and sustenance.

Our group, Engineers Without Borders (EWB) - George Washington University Chapter, aims to improve water access in Bhutiya by organizing the construction of a percolation pond, in order to promote groundwater recharge; promoting the use of rainwater harvesting systems during monsoon season; and organizing a Community Water Board. This will provide a more efficient long-term solution for the community’s access to water by enabling the restoration of the community’s water table levels, diverting dependence on groundwater, and installing frameworks for the community to use their resources in the most efficient way possible for the future. These strategies can hopefully promote increased water access in the community, particularly in the dry season (continually exacerbated by climate change), for irrigation systems, community use, and general well-being.

In June 2023, three project team members had the opportunity to visit the community and oversee the percolation pond's implementation. The next phase of our mission is to ensure the project's success. Our team is in the planning stages of a monitoring and evaluation trip to assess the percolation pond's effectiveness in replenishing the water table. Our ultimate goal is to alleviate the community's water scarcity issues, and securing the necessary funding is the last critical step.

With the looming specter of climate change, water vulnerability is an increasingly unfortunate global concern. The George Washington University Chapter of Engineers Without Borders is determined to make a meaningful impact on the lives of the people in the Bhutiya community and others facing similar challenges. Our unwavering dedication of over five years to this endeavor has been a labor of love, and there is no greater joy for our team than ensuring its success. The future of the Bhutiya community in India hinges on the outcome of this initiative, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to making a positive change a reality.