In response to growing pressure on water resources, rural communities that depend on them for their daily lives are organising collectively, combining ancestral traditions, local solidarity and practical innovations to address the environmental challenges that affect their daily lives.
These multiple initiatives demonstrate a growing capacity for adaptation within communities, which, faced with water scarcity and degradation, are mobilising their know-how, social cohesion and willingness to change. By combining traditional practices, collective action and local innovations, they are gradually building their resilience to environmental change.
These initiatives aim to restore ecosystems, improve access to water and strengthen the resilience of populations. Join For Water and its partners are closely observing and learning from these community-led actions to inform and improve our own interventions based on nature-based solutions. These approaches, and how they are being applied in our work, is explored in the article Nature-based solutions.
Community adaptation and ancestral knowledge
In Benin, the inhabitants of Aguégués are involved in reforestation projects to combat soil erosion. This mobilisation is accompanied by a gradual change in fishing practices: the use of Acadjas, a traditional method based on immersing branches to attract fish, is being replaced by more sustainable techniques such as controlled fisheries. In other localities such as Dedekpoe, Gogbo and Avlo village, community-led awareness campaigns encourage farmers to limit the use of chemicals, protect riverbanks through reforestation, and participate in community work to clear silted canals. In Avlo village, a rural track has been built to facilitate access to the village during the dry season, when the waterways become impassable.
Traditional agricultural practices
In Burundi, traditional agricultural practices are being revived to combat erosion and climate variability. Polyculture and the use of local plants help to conserve soil and optimise water storage. In Muhenga, households are installing rainwater harvesting systems on roofs, along with cesspools to improve access to water. Contour lines are commonly drawn to reduce soil erosion. In Rurabo, farmers are adopting more drought-resistant crops that are better suited to the new climatic conditions.
‘Thanks to contour lines, erosion has stopped since two years,’ says Mukeshimana LEHEMA, a farmer in Caranka (Burundi).
In Mali, the Dalakana community has implemented collective measures such as deepening ponds to increase their retention capacity, banning cultivation along riverbanks, and regulating water use for vegetable irrigation. These rules are part of a local water governance system based on consultation and accountability.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the inhabitants of Idiofa have established community rules to protect low-lying areas and monitor bush fires, which accelerate ecosystem degradation. They also use traditional practices such as storing rainwater in reservoirs built using local techniques.
In Uganda, in the village of Nyakacwamba, the planting of exotic trees is threatening water resources. To preserve the springs, the inhabitants have cut down harmful species and stopped farming in wetlands, while planting native species to stabilise and restore the soil. In addition, brush burning is prohibited.
‘Since we were children, we have been taught not to cut down trees near water sources,’ says Mr Muhumuza Patrick, a farmer in Nyakacwamba, Uganda.
Faced with a lack of financial resources, they set up a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), enabling women to save 2,500 Ugandan shillings and men 5,000, thereby improving the economic situation. As in Benin, awareness campaigns are being conducted among villagers, focusing in particular on water collection at the right time, sustainable management of water sources and reforestation.
In these African regions, ancestral knowledge plays an essential role. In addition to agricultural practices, spiritual beliefs and rituals are still very much alive. In Benin, figures such as Zangbéto are invoked to enforce local management rules, while in Dangbo, ceremonies are held to implore the ancestors during periods of drought. These traditions are often accompanied by concrete actions, such as combating invasive plants, collectively cleaning springs and raising awareness among fishermen about the effects of pollution.
In South America, although approaches are less marked by spiritual rituals, communities also mobilise their traditional knowledge. In Chontali, Peru, residents are reforesting with native species from local nurseries to restore ecosystems and regulate water cycles. Community associations such as Páramo and Ríos del Inca promote circular agriculture based on coffee cultivation that is environmentally friendly and water efficient. At the same time, citizen initiatives are developing through the formation of community brigades responsible for cleaning public spaces, educating people about natural heritage preservation and promoting waste sorting, although the recovery of biowaste remains limited. The ‘Chontali vivo’ project embodies this integrated dynamic where ecology, culture and local governance come together.
Challenges still to be overcome
Despite the many community initiatives implemented to address changes in water resources, communities still face several obstacles that hinder their efforts.
‘We are powerless to respond to the call [for water] of our crops,’ says Fulbert Houessou, a farmer in Dangbo (Benin).
One of the first challenges is long-term community mobilisation. While some actions have been initiated, their sustainability depends on the ability of future generations to take ownership of these approaches. This requires constant awareness-raising, particularly among people who practise unsustainable agriculture, farm in riverbeds or pollute water sources.
Poor agricultural practices, deforestation and excessive use of plant protection products continue to damage ecosystems, due to a lack of accessible alternatives and genuine collective awareness. In several regions, the lack of basic equipment (shovels, hoes, tools) limits the effectiveness of community actions on the ground.
Added to this is a lack of training and awareness of environmental issues in some communities, which makes it difficult to bring about sustainable behavioural change. Changing mindsets requires educational support and, in some cases, the enforcement of local rules or laws to punish negligent behaviour.
In contexts where economic interests compete with conservation objectives, such as in Chontali, Peru, it is difficult to find a consensus between ecosystem protection and profitability requirements. This tension between the environment and development remains an obstacle to coherent collective action. Logistical and financial constraints, particularly in the DRC with its poor roads and lack of resources, limit the scope of community interventions. Lack of funding also hinders the scaling up of good practices and the ability of communities to sustainably cope with pressures on their water resources.
Join For Water’s response
Through its programs, Join For Water is actively working to address many of the challenges faced by the communities in managing and protecting their water resources. We implement nature-based solutions that can be scaled up to increase the resilience of vulnerable populations. These efforts are part of a broader approach that seeks to create an enabling environment for sustainable, community-driven water management. The article Nature-based solutions highlights the nature-based solutions implemented by Join For Water and its partners.
Acknowledgements
We sincerely thank our colleagues, partners, and especially the community members whose voices and experiences have shaped this article.