As part of its efforts to promote the efficient use of water and strengthen community resilience to climate change, the SWACH project launched a rainwater harvesting system at the community center of one of its pilot neighborhoods in Cuenca.
This initiative was made possible through the joint efforts of the neighborhood residents, ETAPA EP, and the SWACH team, demonstrating how collaboration among the community, academia, and public institutions can generate practical solutions for water conservation.
The system collects and stores rainwater for activities that do not require potable water, such as irrigating the community garden and supplying the toilet cisterns at the community center. In this way, it reduces the demand on the drinking water supply system while making use of a resource that would otherwise be lost through surface runoff.
In addition to its environmental benefits, this intervention is intended to serve as a demonstration site for the community, fostering knowledge of sustainable water management alternatives and encouraging more responsible water-use practices.
The installation is part of the actions that SWACH is implementing in its pilot neighborhoods, where activities also include water consumption monitoring, community education, home improvements, and strategies to enhance water-use efficiency.
This initiative demonstrates that small actions can generate significant impacts when a community works together to protect a resource as valuable as water.
More than an infrastructure project, this system represents a step toward building more sustainable, environmentally conscious, and resilient communities that are better prepared to face future water-related challenges.
