An intervention study to gain insight on sustainable water supply strategies in El Progreso, Panama

Abstract

The main focus of this project is to gain insight into feasible strategies for sustainable water supply in a community inhabited by indigenous people. This was done by an intervention study in a small village called El Progreso in the province of Colon, on the Caribbean coast of Panama. The project aims to provide safe drinking water to the 80 members of the Embera tribe, living in El Progreso. This is done by constructing rainwater harvesting tanks where rainwater will be collected from roofs of houses and school buildings and stored within the tanks. We want to investigate the impact of this system, which supplies safe drinking water on a daily basis, on the community. The construction of the storage tanks (ferrocement) will stimulate and create local entrepreneurship. In these ways we will take our first step towards a sustainable local enterprise and sustainable employment. This can ultimately result in a long-term development in the El Progreso area. The project consists of 3 study topics: the physical construction of the rainwater harvesting tanks and the project control and quality that comes with this, evaluating the quality and quantity of available water sources in the area of rainwater and rainwater and the possible changes in the community due to this project (both the influence of the newly constructed tanks on daily life as well as the presence of aid in the community and social impacts that comes along with this). The project resulted in the construction of 11 tanks, improved job opportunities for several community members, improved trust in aid organizations as well as connecting the community to a national aid network for future projects.