Blog
“The voice of our communities”

Carolina Pittella – Project Manager at Agua Segura

When it comes to water projects in rural areas, the challenge isn’t so much about the “what” but the “how.” In my experience, understanding the community and the local water resources is the first and most critical step to developing an effective action plan. Listening to people, learning about their customs and needs allows us to create realistic, sustainable projects that truly make a difference in their lives.

I always start by involving local teams as key partners in the process. They are the first to point out the limitations and challenges we’ll need to tackle. Although it can seem overwhelming at first, this is when the right questions emerge, and the true scope of the project begins to take shape. These teams have an unmatched understanding of the local climate, the best times to work, the local suppliers, and the logistics—like road conditions and costs—that can make or break a project. Paying attention to these factors can significantly improve the project’s success and optimize resources.

Along with local teams, foundations that have been working in the area for years are invaluable partners. Not only do they understand the community’s specific needs, but they also help facilitate initial contacts and adjust the project’s scope when necessary. Building strong relationships with these foundations opens doors to faster and more efficient solutions. Entering a community with a trusted local partner by your side makes it easier to navigate future challenges.

Another crucial element in planning is choosing the right communication channel for each team. Not everyone communicates or processes information the same way. Figuring out whether a call, video call, message, or email is the best option helps keep the workflow efficient and effective. It’s also important to adjust communication frequency based on everyone’s availability, and when needed, to make in-person visits to strengthen relationships and ensure the project stays on track.

Ultimately, a project in a rural community will only succeed if we truly understand the local context and build strong partnerships with those who know the area best. In this way, teamwork becomes the key to bringing safe water to those who need it most.

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Esther Camacho Guerrero – Director of the Regenera Bajío Program, Nuup.

In Mexico, as in many other countries, the agricultural sector is one of the largest water consumers, accounting for 67.52% of total water use. This makes sustainable water management essential to ensure food security and preserve the country’s water resources.

Currently, small-scale agriculture, which covers almost 72% of the territory, predominantly relies on gravity irrigation systems (also known as furrow or flood irrigation), which have low efficiency rates, ranging between 20% and 40%. Through our fieldwork with farmers, we’ve demonstrated that it is possible to increase these efficiencies up to 80%, with an effective cost-benefit ratio.

The optimization of irrigation in agriculture largely depends on the human factor, which is key to achieving significant and sustainable long-term water savings. Collaboration between technical knowledge and the farmer’s experience is crucial: while scientific tools and methods provide technical solutions, their effective implementation depends on the farmer’s commitment and ability to adapt these solutions to local conditions.

Aware of the unique characteristics of Mexican farmlands, we have developed an intervention framework focused on improving irrigation efficiencies by providing personalized technical advice to each farmer. This individualized approach allows us to deeply understand the initial conditions, such as the specific characteristics of the land, the available irrigation infrastructure, and the specific needs of the crops. In this way, we can propose tailored improvements that not only increase irrigation efficiency and reduce water consumption, especially groundwater, but also prevent pests and diseases and improve crop yields.

The methodology starts by thoroughly understanding the farmers’ usual irrigation practices: how, how much, and when do they irrigate? Why do they do it that way? This analysis, along with field measurements, allows us to offer customized recommendations that optimize irrigation within their plots.

After more than two years of close work with farmers, we’ve noticed that many still follow habits passed down through generations, which are not always the most appropriate for sustainable resource management. Changing these habits is not easy, which is why establishing trust from the outset is essential. We encourage active farmer participation throughout the process, considering their input on proposed improvements, assisting them with implementation, and supporting them in recording field data. Moreover, we seek complementary resources to improve irrigation infrastructure and offer comprehensive advice that goes beyond efficient water use, also addressing productive and commercial aspects.

Another key aspect of our methodology is returning the information collected during each production cycle to the farmers, enabling them to observe and analyze the benefits and impacts of improved irrigation practices. This not only promotes greater awareness of responsible water use but also improves decision-making in their irrigation units, empowering farmers to take responsibility for their limited resources.

We are convinced that education and awareness in the communities where we implement our projects are crucial to addressing water stress. Through group workshops, we provide updated information on water challenges, best practices for efficient use, and farmers’ rights and responsibilities. This fosters deeper reflection on the environmental consequences of conventional agriculture, promoting a sustainable approach tailored to current challenges.

Gisella Djenderedjian – General Manager of Dvigi.

Access to safe drinking water remains a crucial global challenge. More than 2.2 billion people lack access to clean water, which has devastating consequences, especially in rural communities. According to the World Health Organization, over 485,000 people die each year from diarrheal diseases linked to contaminated water consumption. The lack of potable water particularly affects women and children, who are often responsible for collecting water in many regions. This task not only exposes them to physical risks and health issues but also takes away educational and employment opportunities, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and inequality.

In response to this reality, technology has become a key tool in improving access to safe water. Ultrafiltration systems have proven to be an effective and accessible solution, capable of removing bacteria, viruses, and sediments from water, providing a reliable source of drinking water. These filters are easy to install and maintain, making them ideal for areas where water infrastructure is limited or non-existent. Gisella Djenderedjian, General Manager of Dvigi, highlights the effectiveness of these systems: ‘Our purifiers combine ultrafiltration technology with activated carbon and sediment filters, removing impurities and improving the taste of water while retaining essential minerals. We want to be part of the solution to the global water crisis by offering technology that positively impacts people’s health and well-being.’

Beyond their efficiency, these filters are a sustainable option. ‘Our commitment is to improve the quality of life in regions that need it most, using sustainable technology to transform water access,’ Djenderedjian adds. At Agua Segura, we work to implement these systems in rural communities, where they provide an efficient and economical solution for access to safe drinking water. At the same time, we conduct awareness workshops in vulnerable areas, promoting the importance of hygiene habits and proper use of these filters, ensuring their durability and long-term effectiveness. With each project, we not only improve the health and well-being of individuals but also help create opportunities for development and empowerment in the most underserved communities.

By Manuel Sauri – CEO of Agua Segura

When we think about the importance of water for our lives and development, we surely imagine the rivers, seas, and lakes that feed us, provide energy, and recreation. If we go a bit further, perhaps we reflect on the importance of wetlands and ecosystems that work to mitigate the effects of climate change. But there is a place where practically all the planet’s liquid fresh water is concentrated: beneath the earth.

Groundwater has enormous significance for human society. Its sustainable management and protection are essential to guarantee water security, food production, drinking water supply, and the health of ecosystems.

Groundwater: the invisible resource that sustains life

Access to safe water is a fundamental human right. We only need to remember the “water cycle” we learned in school to understand that what we do on the surface directly affects what happens beneath it. If the water circulation process is interrupted, terrestrial ecosystems lose their balance, and with them, aquifers deteriorate.

According to UNESCO data, over 95% of the world’s available liquid freshwater is groundwater, and it is estimated that 50% of the world’s population depends on it for domestic consumption.

These natural reservoirs supply not only our homes but also sanitation systems, industries, and, above all, the agricultural sector.

Agriculture and Aquifers: A Critical Relationship

Agriculture is the largest consumer of freshwater on the planet. According to the FAO, about 40% of the water used for irrigation globally comes from aquifers. And it is estimated that to feed a global population of 9 billion by 2050, food production must increase by 60%.

However, the excessive use of groundwater for irrigation can lead to its depletion, reduced river flow, and loss of wetlands. Furthermore, if they become contaminated with agrochemicals, fertilizers, or other substances, their quality is jeopardized, and negative impacts on public health are generated.

Sustainable water management in agriculture is crucial. Adopting efficient irrigation technologies, improving soil infiltration, and reducing chemical use are key steps to protect this invisible resource.

Groundwater Conservation and Recharge of Aquifers

Aquifer recharge is the natural process by which rainwater or river water slowly penetrates the soil and reaches underground layers. But when areas are deforested, soils are compacted, or urbanization occurs without planning, this process is interrupted.

At Agua Segura, we promote nature-based solutions that allow us to recover this natural absorption capacity: soil restoration, reforestation of watersheds, wetland conservation, and rainwater harvesting systems.

These actions are part of integrated watershed management strategies aimed at strengthening the water resilience of territories.

Groundwater and Climate Change

Groundwater plays an important role in mitigating climate change. By maintaining stable river levels, they sustain ecosystems during droughts. They also prevent saltwater intrusion in coastal areas, protecting freshwater reserves against rising sea levels.

However, the water crisis has exacerbated aridity in regions where the only source of supply is groundwater. There, sustainable management is not an option; it is a vital necessity.

Water Quality: A Silent Challenge

In addition to depletion, groundwater contamination is a serious challenge. Chemical substances such as nitrates, pesticides, heavy metals, or hydrocarbons can slowly infiltrate and remain for years, affecting water quality without being detected.

Implementing monitoring systems, improving land use planning, and promoting corporate water responsibility are necessary measures to prevent this deterioration.

Making the Invisible Visible

Groundwater knows no borders. Therefore, its preservation requires a global, collaborative, and long-term perspective. According to UN Water, we need public policies, investments, and citizen participation to face emerging challenges.

We also need education and communication. Because making the invisible visible means teaching that what happens beneath our feet sustains everything that happens on the surface. And that without groundwater, there is no agriculture, no industry, no health.

The Basis of All Sustainable Development

Groundwater is a hidden treasure that we must care for, monitor, and manage responsibly. They not only guarantee access to water and sanitation (WASH), but they are also the basis of any sustainable development strategy that aspires to be just, resilient, and lasting.

Conclusion

We are facing a key resource for life. Invisible for decades, it now demands to be at the center of policies, investments, and collective consciousness.

Making the invisible visible is recognizing the infinite value of our groundwater. And acting accordingly.

Manuel Sauri – CEO of Agua Segura

When we look at a world map, it might seem like there’s an abundance of water. The vast expanse of blue gives the illusion that water is plentiful and that we’ll never need to worry about its scarcity. However, of the 1,400 million cubic kilometers of water on Earth, only 2.5% is freshwater, and a mere 0.3% of that is readily accessible for human consumption—the rest is either frozen or trapped underground. These figures highlight a stark reality: access to water is uneven, often turning what should be a guaranteed public right into a privilege for some.

The water crisis disproportionately affects vulnerable communities, particularly their children, who suffer from diseases related to the lack of safe water, leading to nearly 1,000 child deaths per day. With climate change increasing water variability and stressing ecosystems, we urgently need new approaches to development and planning that will help us build more resilient and aware societies.

This is where circular economy and nature-based solutions come into play as strategic, timely approaches that should inform our daily actions across all sectors. In the context of the water crisis, the interconnectedness of all system actors is clear, making us all co-responsible for managing this scarce and vital resource. Although this is a global challenge—affecting 400 million people worldwide who face water scarcity—Argentina, for instance, has its own challenges. In our country, we consume nearly 500 liters of water per person per day, while in other countries, the figure doesn’t even reach 150 or 200 liters.

What are green solutions?

But in the urgent task of caring for the planet, it’s no longer enough to simply preserve, mitigate, or regulate; we also need transformative solutions. This is where nature-based solutions, or “green solutions,” come into play. These involve investing in projects that support the transition to a global well-being economy, promoting partnerships that leave positive, lasting impacts on communities. It’s about reshaping our growth perspective so that the value of positive impact on the world and its people becomes the core of any initiative.

In addressing the water crisis, for example, we can reduce runoff losses by improving the conditions and functionality of watersheds, and foster public-private partnerships to implement water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects, along with environmental initiatives such as soil restoration, spring protection, and the construction of rainwater harvesting systems. These “green” solutions profoundly transform business logic, generating a positive impact both on communities and within their value chains.

A global responsibility, with local challenges

While we face a global phenomenon where over 400 million people are in a situation of scarcity, each country faces its own challenges. In Argentina, for example, nearly 500 liters of water are consumed per person per day, while in many countries, this consumption does not reach 200 liters. This inequality reflects an urgent need to promote a culture of water conservation and corporate water responsibility. At Agua Segura, we believe that projects for watershed management, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and universal access to WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) services must be part of public policy, private social impact programs, and environmental education for citizens.

From Preserving to Transforming

However, in the urgent task of caring for the planet, it is no longer just about preserving, mitigating, or regulating. Transformative responses are also required. Green solutions are heading in this direction: strategies that support the transition towards a global well-being economy, promoting alliances that always leave positive footprints in communities.

Transforming the logic of growth implies rethinking how we produce and how we manage water, integrating ecological variables into decision-making. Investing in green solutions means betting on regenerative development models that integrate nature, technology, and equity.

Concrete examples of nature-based solutions In relation to the water crisis, green solutions can include:

• Reduction of runoff losses by improving watershed functionality.
• Implementation of soil restoration and spring protection projects.
• Water storage works such as rainwater harvesting systems.
• Installation of decentralized sustainable sanitation systems.
• Strengthening community water projects with a participatory approach.

All these actions integrate social, environmental, and economic components, generating a positive impact on communities and their value chains.

A new model of water development

Committing to green solutions also means driving a cultural change: assuming that water is not an unlimited resource, but a common good that must be managed with a long-term vision. This implies moving towards a model where universal access to drinking water and sanitation does not depend on one’s place of birth, but on a collective commitment to water security.

The future requires a new perspective that not only protects ecosystems but also restores and regenerates them. Because only through a healthy and functional environment can we guarantee health, development, and resilience.

A task for everyone

We have the generational challenge of transitioning towards a world where water, like other resources, is not a privilege but a right. To achieve this, it is essential to inform ourselves and get involved to launch new projects that protect the planet and build a better world every day.

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Manuel Sauri – CEO of Agua Segura

Ecosystems sustain all forms of life on the planet, providing balanced environments where countless species, including our own, coexist harmoniously. The health of these ecosystems directly influences the well-being of the entire Earth and its inhabitants. This is why the water crisis, global warming, massive deforestation, and soil contamination are urgent concerns for those of us who tirelessly advocate for a global transition toward a sustainable way of life in all its forms.

In many countries, practices that degrade the ecosystems we depend on are considered environmental crimes because they threaten the quality of life in that region, with inevitable ripple effects across the globe. The actions we take today will shape the near future for many people who are already grappling with the consequences of this climate crisis. Protecting and restoring the environments we are part of (and even those we aren’t) is essential to ensuring our own quality of life in a healthy world and to preventing the spread of diseases, climate disasters, and growing inequalities due to the lack of access to public goods.

To visualize the impact, according to the FAO, 10 million hectares of forests are deforested every year, an area similar to that of Iceland. In this way, their biodiversity is lost, affecting not only the species that live there, but also local economies that suffer the consequences of soil change, floods, increased temperature, among many other issues. Groundwater absorbs agrochemicals from these lands, which are often used for intensive and irresponsible agricultural production, and in this way, a vital resource for the development of any person and their community is gradually contaminated and extinguished

However, just as we are all affected by the same climate crisis, we are also called upon to implement solutions that enable us to transition to a more sustainable economy in harmony with nature. We are all part of the solution. At Agua Segura, we lead various projects aimed at providing concrete solutions to the water crisis. We understand that this global issue requires multiple local solutions that positively impact ecosystems, creating a virtuous cycle of growth. We see ourselves as part of an entrepreneurial generation, aware of its transformative potential, and we build partnerships that contribute to a sustainable strategy for everyone.

The challenges ahead call on all of us, as a society, to design more and better projects to protect and restore our planet. Collaboration between the public sector, private sector, and civil society is crucial.

This Earth is our home, and as environmental movements often remind us, there is no Planet B. Let’s care for, activate, and restore today the world we dream of living in for the rest of our lives. 

Why is restoration essential for water security?

The call to address the water crisis aligns with an urgent global objective: to guarantee water security. Restoring soils, forests, wetlands, and river basins not only improves environmental health but also ensures access to safe and quality water, and helps prevent diseases, floods, and extreme droughts.

When an ecosystem is healthy, the soil retains water, wetlands filter it, and aquifers are naturally recharged. Restoring these natural processes is key to sustainable water management and to addressing the growing scarcity in many regions of the planet.

Local solutions for a global crisis

In the face of the water crisis, solutions must be as diverse as the territories. Agua Segura promotes strategies adapted to local realities:

Restoration of degraded wetlands and riverbanks

Ecosystem-based watershed management

Aquifer recharge through green infrastructure

Water quality improvement through regenerative practices

WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) actions in vulnerable communities

Promotion of community water projects with local participation

These actions align with the guidelines of SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation proposed by the UN.

Nature-based solutions for water

The nature-based solutions (NbS) approach seeks to leverage natural mechanisms to regulate the water cycle. For example:

-Soil restoration increases infiltration and prevents erosion.
-Wetlands act as sponges, retaining water and capturing pollutants.
-Reforestation helps stabilize the climate, reduce runoff, and promote biodiversity.

Organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recognize these solutions as essential for increasing resilience to climate change.

We are all part of the solution

Water is a common good, and its care is a shared responsibility. Corporate water responsibility implies that the private sector adopts measures to minimize its water footprint, while governments and civil society organizations must articulate public policies, investment, and environmental education.

At Agua Segura, we believe in the power of partnerships. Only by working together can we scale solutions that ensure clean water, equitable access, and healthy ecosystems.

Restore today to secure tomorrow

To restore is to look towards the future with responsibility. It is to understand that without water conservation, there is no health, no development, and no social justice. Every action counts: from caring for the soil to protecting a wetland, from reducing consumption to promoting public policy.

Because this Earth is our home. And there is no other.