In drought-prone Oaxaca, indigenous women are reviving ancient techniques to preserve water
Grupedsac started by building a 20,000 litre (5,283 gallon) ferro-cement tank, an inexpensive water tank made from cement that needs little maintenance, at the school. The entire community helped build the water tank – an indigenous practice known as tequios, where every person has a civic duty to assist their community.
[...]
The water tank collects rain that would usually drain away, which can be reused for cleaning, cooking and, in this case, irrigating the school's crops. Carrillo explains that they aim to prioritise vegetables that are endemic to the region, and are high in iron and protein. Due to high levels of poverty in the region, children's diets are often lacking in nutrition.
The tank has a built-in filter that purifies the water to remove bacteria, pathogens and other harmful particles. This prevents gastrointestinal diseases and damage to teeth caused by excessive fluorine which is usually found in higher concentrations in the mountains.
[...]
Ortiz relies heavily on the water tank and says it has greatly improved her farming livelihood and the health of her family. "It literally changed my life," she says, while gesturing towards a huge white structure connected to hoses. During the rainy season it helps her collect rainwater through tubes strategically positioned on the metal roof of her house and it also stores water which she pumps from the river.
[...]