Sand Dams as a Potential Solution to Rural Water Security in Drylands: Existing Research and Future Opportunities

Sand dams, a rainwater harvesting technique, are small dams constructed across ephemeral streams. During the rainy season, water is stored in sand that accumulates behind dam. provide communities drylands with during dry season via scoop holes, pools, and shallow wells. Whilst many studies portray as positive solution to growing threat of dryland insecurity, others highlight their challenges, including poor quality, evaporation leakage from some contested failure rate ability year-round. This article reviews peer-reviewed gray literature on discovered through Scopus Google Scholar searches, reference lists, personal contacts. Findings collected were reviewed categorized into dam hydrology, health well-being impacts, economic cost benefits, quality topics. In most numerical simulations, supply local community throughout much exhibit long-term impact groundwater. Accounts storage loss based field measurements, conversely, often show lost due evapotranspiration seepage reservoir rather than use. Furthermore, groundwater storage, while variable, likely seasonal. relatively affordable build; construction estimates range 6,000 8,500 EUR. However, existing suggests not cost-efficient means supplying water. Nevertheless, successful can significantly increase availability use, whilst reducing traveling time for collection, subsequently providing host secondary benefits improved hygiene, opportunity, education. Positive however, equally shared depend variables, such abstraction method, catchment, household location. high microbiological levels detected especially holes. security resilience, they may be an inclusive all. More research needed assess sustainability accounting uncertainty changing climate.