Water powers prosperity: Ms. Piv Han's journey
In Cambodia's remote Ratanakiri province, water scarcity presents significant obstacles to rural development. Despite the presence of the Mekong River, many indigenous communities experience severe seasonal shortages, particularly impacting women entrepreneurs such as Ms. Piv Han from the Ta Veaeng district, a secluded area of Ratanakiri province in northeastern Cambodia. She is merely one of numerous indigenous individuals whose way of life is jeopardised by changing rainfall patterns and inadequate infrastructure, compelling tough choices between household necessities, livestock, and crops.
As a determined widow running a small pig-raising operation, Ms. Piv Han's business constantly battled water limitations. Each dry season brought increasing anxiety as water sources dwindled. Hours spent carrying water from distant sources to provide the essential hydration required by her pigs took a physical toll and significantly diminished her productivity.
The SNV-Biodiverse Landscape Fund addressed this challenge through a co-investment partnership, installing a solar-powered water pump system that draws water from the Sesan River directly to her home. "Before, I was always tied up with carrying water, especially during the dry season, and as a widow, I couldn’t do as much as I wanted," recalls Ms. Han. "Now, I just press a button and can manage everything, watering the pigs in the afternoon, vegetables in the morning and evening, and other household tasks. I also wish to start grazing for the cows and build a proper concrete pig house using the money from selling pigs." This technology offered multiple advantages in the remote setting - it required no fuel, had minimal maintenance needs, and harnessed Cambodia's abundant sunshine to provide reliable water access throughout the year. The technical installation was accompanied by training on system maintenance and optimal water usage for irrigating crops.
The impact was transformative. With reliable access to water, her pigs thrived with reduced heat stress. Ms. Han swiftly diversified her activities, establishing a vegetable garden that provides nutrition for her family and surplus for local sales, while also expanding into cattle raising. "With the solar pump, everything changed," Ms. Han explains. "My pigs are healthy now, but that was just the beginning. I have vegetables growing year-round, and I've even begun raising cattle. Water gives life to everything it touches."
Her increased income now supports her children's education while also building savings for future expansion. This success has created ripple effects throughout her community, as neighbours witness her transformation and explore similar solutions. "In our village, we have always helped one another survive," says Ms. Han. "Now I can help others thrive. When women from neighbouring households ask how I transformed my situation, I tell them it began with solving the water problem."
The project encountered substantial challenges in this remote region, where restricted access to technical expertise and arduous transportation conditions complicated the delivery of equipment. SNV's strategy involved linking isolated communities with technical service providers from provincial towns, thereby creating pathways for market development to foster future innovations.
The Biodiverse Landscape Fund has commenced replicating this successful model with other families surrounding Virachey National Park, establishing a network of rural entrepreneurs employing sustainable technology to surmount obstacles to prosperity.