BASEflow is working to improve the sustainability of groundwater sources in rural Malawi. They do this by strengthening government and community systems to effectively monitor, manage, develop, and harness groundwater for improved livelihoods and resilience.
BASEflow has created Malawi’s most comprehensive Water Asset Management Information System and works with the Ministry of Water and Sanitation to update the system as new water points are drilled, aquifers identified, or non-functional water points are closed or repaired. They help hold drillers accountable by updating policies and standards to manage and protect groundwater. In addition, they help ensure drillers know and adhere to regulations and standards to ensure high-quality drilling.
Why We Partner
Investing in a small, local organization working at the intersection of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and WASH (Water Access, Sanitation, and Hygiene), with a strong focus on the supply side of water resources, is key to Malawi’s water security.
BASEflow’s approach to and impact on Malawi’s groundwater depletion punches above its weight. They have developed borehole forensics, which allows the WASH sector to take a more informed, sustainable and cost-effective approach to groundwater restoration. In addition, they have helped create Malawi’s most comprehensive Water Asset Management Information System (MWAMIS), with over 400K data points. BASEflow’s model, which can be replicated more broadly by larger NGO’s, will help ensure the long term availability of groundwater.
Impact
Our partnership allows BASEflow to implement work in three key areas:
- building rural groundwater-dependent infrastructure for community resilience
- improving data governance for groundwater management
- empowering communities for groundwater stewardship