Projects – Baseflow

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Madzi Ndiye Moyo radio series

Borehole Forensics

National Water-Point Mapping

Maximizing Artesian Water for Sustainable Agriculture

Madzi Ndiye Moyo radio series

Using the power and reach of community radios, BASEflow piloted an innovative radio series called Madzi Ndiye Moyo (which means ‘Water is Life itself’) which ran for 6 weeks on local radio stations in Mid-2017. With 6 carefully themed episodes lasting no longer than 5 minutes, the pilot was a social experiment to assess the rural appetite for content centered around water resources management. Despite being on air for only 6 weeks, the radio series received positive response with triggered audience interest, not only through SMS, but also through walk-in queries at BASEflow offices. BASEflow’s radio series experience was selected for presentation at 2018 Water, Engineering and Development Centre Conference in July 2018. If you want to listen to the radio series episodes, please visit our YouTube page. If you would like copy of the monitoring report for more details, please email info@baseflowmw.com

Borehole Forensics

One of the major problems affecting handpump performance is the poor construction/installation of handpumps. Boreholes are either not drilled deep enough which leads to dry well during the summertime or they are not vertical which leads to faster wear and tear of the handpump further resulting higher-than-normal maintenance costs for rural consumers. However, without evidence it is very difficult to assess the cause of the break down. Borehole forensics, a detailed technical assessment of the surface and subsurface conditions of the borehole, is our response to this challenge! Using modern technology, borehole forensics helps uncover the major causes of borehole failure and, where possible, remedies the problem through rehabilitation, maintenance or replacement. Beyond just providing valuable technical data, this process provides the much-needed evidence to hold service providers, e.g. NGOs and/or private drilling companies, accountable for failed installations. Check our social media and updates pages for more information.

National Water-Point Mapping

We can only manage what we measure. This is why BASEflow, as part of the Climate Justice Water-Futures Programme funded by the Scottish Government, is strategic partner for an ambitious mapping endeavor that will see every water point mapped across Malawi. By having a comprehensive understanding of how many water assets Malawi has and what is their current condition, the Malawi Government, and stakeholders, will have a firm foundation for planning for and achieving the sustainable development goals. BASEflow plays a pivotal role to this national endeavor through the creation of a call centre. The call centre is a team of staff and interns who provides support services to a network of government enumerators through training, field/technical support and data quality assurance. The call centre has so far trained 200 government extension workers, reviewed more than 120,000 surveys from the field and has received a satisfaction rating of 86% from enumerators for the high quality of support services they are receiving. The Water and Environmental Sanitation Network also featured the call centre in the 2018 CSO Performance Report as an example of an innovation that demonstrated transparency and accountability. Check our social media and updates pages for more information.

Maximizing Artesian Water for Sustainable Agriculture

Artesian water is groundwater that is under pressure when tapped by a well and is able to rise above the level at which it is first encountered, often above ground. Artesian flows are often celebrated, as they give the appearance there is an unlimited supply of water, rising to the surface unaided by expensive infrastructure. However, there are significant problems associated with allowing artesian boreholes to flow uncontrolled including significant depletion of groundwater resources causing neighbouring boreholes to dry up. BASEflow, in partnership with the University of Strathclyde, secured a grant from the Climate Justice Innovation Fund to build community resilience to the impacts of climate change by channeling the viable potential of artesian pressure towards sustainable agriculture to ensure improved food security, increased household incomes and provide a demonstrable alternative for utilizing waste water from artesian systems. BASEflow will be working with the Blantyre District Council to cap and control an artesian well, which has been running since 2007, in the small village of Jordani which has a population of 1920 people. Check our social media and updates pages for more information.