Across large parts of India, agriculture is under growing pressure. Years of monocropping, intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides, and declining soil health have made farming increasingly difficult for many communities. In some of the country’s most vulnerable rural regions, farmers are now looking for new ways to restore both productivity and ecological balance.

One initiative addressing these challenges is the project “Agricultural Transition to Productive Biodiversity”, supported by the Dutch Government, Partners for Water programme and implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The project focuses on nature-based solutions that help farmers restore soil health, reduce crop losses and strengthen biodiversity while maintaining livelihoods.

At the centre of the project is Meghna Mukherjee, Programme Manager at MetaMeta Research, a Wageningen-based consulting organisation specialising in water management, climate adaptation and agricultural development. Originally from India, Mukherjee has spent the past eight years working at the intersection of water management, agriculture and social inclusion. Her role combines programme management with a strong focus on gender and community engagement. “We work on practical solutions that can be implemented directly in the field,” she explains. “The aim is not only to test innovative approaches but also to understand how they can be scaled and adopted by communities themselves.”

A global research network

MetaMeta Research was founded in 2004 in Wageningen and has since expanded into an international organisation with offices in countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Yemen. The company collaborates closely with governments, NGOs and local communities to develop water management and climate-resilient solutions. “What makes us unique is that we combine research with on-the-ground implementation,” Mukherjee says. In 2024, the organisation became part of the German development consultancy GOPA, expanding its international reach while maintaining its focus on water and climate solutions.

Water, gender and daily realities

One of Mukherjee’s core research interests is the relationship between water access and gender. In many parts of the world, women are responsible for collecting water for both household use and agriculture, often walking long distances under difficult conditions. But the issue goes beyond physical labour. “There are also social norms and power dynamics,” Mukherjee says. “Even when water is available nearby, women are still expected to collect it.”

These dynamics also appear in everyday tasks such as laundry, which is still largely performed manually by women in many regions. The water used can contain chemicals or contaminants that cause health problems, yet this aspect of hygiene rarely receives attention. Despite growing awareness, Mukherjee believes much work remains to be done. “In some cases, women’s voices are heard but not included in decision-making,” she says. “In others they are not even heard at all.”

Connecting institutions and communities

Addressing these challenges requires cooperation between many actors. One of the project’s key strategies is therefore to connect stakeholders that normally operate separately. “Different institutions often work in their own ‘boxes’,” Mukherjee explains. “Water departments, agricultural authorities and gender programmes rarely coordinate their activities.” The project aims to break these silos by encouraging dialogue between government agencies, local organisations and farming communities. “When these groups come together, they begin to understand the problems from different perspectives,” she says.

Another important element is evidence building. The project documents result and shares them with policymakers and development organisations through reports, social media and professional networks. “We try many different strategies,” Mukherjee says. “Sometimes you don’t know which one will work, but together they help create awareness.”

Three nature-based solutions

The project focuses on three main interventions that aim to improve agricultural productivity while strengthening biodiversity.

Reviving traditional hedges
The first intervention involves reintroducing hedges as green corridors along agricultural fields. “Hedges used to be a common feature in farming landscapes, both in India and in Europe,” Mukherjee explains. “But over time they disappeared as farmers tried to maximise cultivation areas.”

The project is now reviving this traditional practice by planting species such as pigeon pea and acacia along field boundaries. These hedges serve several functions. They protect crops from animals, improve soil stability and help retain water. They can also generate additional income when crops such as pigeon pea are harvested. Research has also shown that hedges influence the microclimate of agricultural fields. “We are observing temperature differences of up to 2.5 degrees Celsius between fields with and without hedges,” Mukherjee says.

Ecological rodent management
The second intervention addresses a problem that farmers often face but that rarely receives attention: crop losses caused by rodents. “Rodents are responsible for significant pre- and post-harvest losses,” Mukherjee says. “But people rarely talk about it.” Instead of using chemical rodenticides, the project promotes ecologically based rodent management (EBRM). Communities use techniques such as improved storage systems, hermetic bags and coordinated burrow control. The results have been striking. “In the last three months alone, more than 200 households have participated and over 90 rodent burrows have been closed,” she says. For many farmers, recognising the scale of the problem has been a revelation. “Some of them told us nobody had ever asked about rodents before.”

Water-efficient rice cultivation
The third intervention focuses on rice production through a method known as alternate wetting and drying. Traditionally, rice fields are kept continuously flooded. However, research shows that rice can grow well without standing water. The new method alternates irrigation with dry periods, reducing water use and improving soil conditions. “It requires a mind-set change for farmers,” Mukherjee says. “But once they see the results, many become interested.”

Working with farmers

The design of these interventions was strongly influenced by farmers themselves. For example, during discussions about hedges, farmers suggested the species best suited to local conditions. “They know the land much better than we do,” Mukherjee says. The adoption of alternate wetting and drying also began with a small group of inventive farmers. “In one village, two women farmers decided to try the new method,” she explains. “Their success encouraged others to follow.”

Building trust with communities took time. But partnerships with local organisations such as PRADAN and FES, which have long worked in the region, helped establish strong relationships. “At first there was some scepticism,” Mukherjee says. “If someone tells you that what you’ve been doing for years can be improved, you won’t immediately believe them.” Today, however, many farmers are sharing experiences with each other through WhatsApp groups and local networks. “It’s become much more organic,” she says.

Looking beyond pilot projects

The project currently operates in three Indian states – Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal – covering several districts within what is known as the Central India Tribal Belt. These regions are home to many vulnerable communities and smallholder farmers. The next challenge is scaling up successful interventions beyond the pilot areas. “We now have strong evidence that these approaches work,” Mukherjee says. “The question is how to integrate them into larger programmes and policies.” This requires collaboration with government authorities, donor organisations and international partners. “We are already discussing these ideas with district agricultural departments and water authorities,” she says.

A long-term perspective

For Mukherjee, the most rewarding aspect of the project is seeing different groups come together. “My role is often to act as a bridge between the field teams and the donors,” she explains. “I help translate local realities into strategies and policies.” She works closely with a local team that plays a key role in implementing the project on the ground. Pratik Ranjan focuses on ecological rodent management (EBRM), Shubham Jain works on the restoration of hedges and Arpan Mondal supports the implementation of alternate wetting and drying in rice cultivation. Although each has specific responsibilities, they collaborate closely, discussing challenges together and carrying out activities as a team.

Although the project itself will eventually conclude, its impact may continue through the networks and knowledge it has created. Farmers are already sharing techniques with neighbouring communities, and manuals developed during the project can be adapted for other regions. “These solutions are simple and flexible,” Mukherjee says. “That means they can potentially be used in many different countries.”

In the end, the goal is not simply to complete a project, but to initiate a broader transformation. “There is still so much potential,” she says. “But what we are seeing now gives us hope that agriculture can become both productive and sustainable again.”

In western Kenya, the Nyando River catchment is caught in a cycle of flooding, land degradation and failing harvests. Trust 2 Impact, supported by Partners for Water, is working to break that cycle. Not by fixing isolated problems, but by addressing the system as a whole and ensuring that those who restore the land share in its benefits. Co-founder Victor Langenberg and Kenya Country Manager Professor Humphrey Oborah explain why that distinction matters.

Why fixing one thing is never enough

As a systems thinker and water expert, Victor Langenberg has spent four decades working on water systems in Africa. During that time, he has seen forests planted that never survived, water pumps that stopped working, and agro-programmes whose effects faded within five years. “When I travel through Africa, I see the remnants of projects where 80 percent has simply evaporated,” he says. “That is heartbreaking. ”

The reason, in his view, is structural. “Deforestation leads to soil degradation, soil degradation leads to flooding, flooding destroys harvests, destroyed harvests drive poverty, and poverty forces farmers to overuse the land,” he explains. “For lasting success, you cannot fix one part. You have to flip the system; step in together and turn that downward spiral into a cycle of restoration, resilience and opportunity.” That conviction is what led him to co-found Trust 2 Impact. “We aim to go about it completely differently.”

A view from the inside

Professor Humphrey Oborah brings a different but complementary perspective. Born and raised in the Nyando River catchment area, he knows this landscape from the inside. Four years ago, he joined as Trust 2 Impact’s Kenya Country Manager. “As a native of the region, I can speak with the community in their own dialect and align with their sufferings,” he says. “But I also wanted to bring my international connections and education in cultural and human science to find a lasting solution.”

Together with a dedicated team, they are now developing a long-term landscape restoration programme in the Nyando River catchment – combining agroforestry, water management and innovative financing to restore both ecosystems and livelihoods.

For background on the project and its wider context, see our earlier article Restoring Kenya’s Nyando River catchment: how Trust 2 Impact connects landscapes, livelihoods and long-term finance here.

Seeing the connections

To get to grips with what is happening in the Nyando catchment, Trust 2 Impact starts with maps. Causal loop diagramming is a systems thinking tool that charts how different factors influence and reinforce each other. It reveals where a well-placed intervention can trigger a chain of positive change. “We map the feedback loops between water, soil, agriculture, income and governance to find where small interventions can generate large effects,” explains Victor.

“When we looked at the Nyando River catchment systemically, deforestation, soil degradation, flooding, poverty and weak economic alternatives were all feeding into each other,” says Humphrey. “So instead of simply planting trees, we integrated landscape restoration with livelihoods, regenerative agriculture and local economic empowerment – because communities are more likely to protect ecosystems when restoration also improves their income and resilience.”

The knowledge is already there

Working closely with local communities is central to the programme. Victor is sometimes frustrated by the gap between knowledge and action. “The knowledge of how to work with the land – how to prepare seeds, read the landscape and the water, restore it – is there, but it’s hidden,” he says. “It needs to come out and be taken seriously. It’s often locked inside communities and academic papers, but there is no structure yet to connect it to financing and markets.”

Humphrey recognises the same pattern. “In many cases, communities already understood changes in rainfall patterns and soil fertility decline long before formal data confirmed it,” he says. “What was missing was a structured platform connecting that lived experience to financing mechanisms, restoration science, and economic opportunities.” Trust 2 Impact aims to do that.

This connects to a broader assumption Humphrey has consistently challenged: that communities resist change. “People are not resistant to change, they are resistant to exclusion from the benefits of change,” he says. Once communities see a credible pathway towards resilience and economic inclusion, their response shifts, and the numbers bear that out. Today, more than 20,000 community members are engaged in the programme – a strong foundation for the 60,000 hectares of agroforestry and riparian restoration the team aims to achieve across the Nyando catchment.

If it works here, what does it prove?

The Nyando catchment was chosen deliberately. It is one of the most degraded river systems on earth, but it also has high potential for recovery. “If we can fix the Nyando catchment area, we fix more than that,” Victor says. “Because what comes out of that river ends up in Lake Victoria. Improve the catchment and the whole lake system benefits, including the three countries surrounding it.”

“If this approach succeeds, it proves that climate restoration can simultaneously become an environmental solution, a poverty reduction strategy, and a green economic development model,” Humphrey says. “Carbon credit and climate finance projects work best when they are rooted in community ownership, systems thinking, and inclusive economic participation, not isolated technical interventions.”

A model worth repeating

Replication across the Lake Victoria basin would require long-term financing, local capacity-building and transparent governance. But above all, a shift in perspective. “Most importantly,” Humphrey concludes, “replication requires seeing ecosystems and communities not as separate issues, but as one interconnected living system. That is the real lesson emerging from Nyando.”

This is the second of a series of three articles. Read the first article and stay tuned for more in-depth insights.

In Dalat, Vietnam, a Dutch–Vietnamese consortium led by Fresh Studio has completed a 30-month pilot to improve water management in greenhouse horticulture. Supported by Partners for Water, the project introduced drain water collection and UV disinfection to reduce nutrient losses. The results show savings of up to 40 percent for fertiliser and 35 percent lower water use for participating pepper growers. René van Rensen from Fresh Studio explains how the system works and what it takes to scale it.

In the highlands of Dalat, greenhouses stretch across the hillsides. Inside, vegetables are grown in substrate rather than soil – a method that offers higher yields and better control over water and nutrient supply. Yet beneath that efficiency, a hidden loss takes place. “When you grow in substrate, crops need 20 to 30 percent more water,” says Van Rensen. “Without a collection system, that excess water drains away and is lost.” In the Netherlands, this water is typically recirculated in closed systems.

For greenhouse growers in Vietnam, improving water management is not only about sustainability, but also about reducing input costs and securing long-term production. As fertiliser prices rise and water resources come under increasing pressure, practical solutions such as drain water reuse are becoming increasingly relevant.

To address this, the consortium – Fresh Studio, Ridder, Royal Brinkman and HollandDoor – introduced a closed-loop drain water system. By capturing, disinfecting and reusing drain water, the team aimed to improve water management while reducing both costs and environmental impact.

Turning drain water into a resource

In substrate systems, part of the irrigation water flows out of the pots as drain water. In the Netherlands, this water must be collected and reused by law. In Vietnam, this is not yet common practice. “The water just goes into the ground,” Van Rensen explains. “All the nutrients go with it. Eventually, they can end up in groundwater or surface water. This means that water is wasted and pollution occurs at the same time.” Simultaneously, water itself is rarely paid for. “If farmers need more water, they simply drill deeper,” he says. “Ten years ago, farmers would pump at 30 metres. Now they go down to 100 metres.”

The real incentive for reusing drain water lies elsewhere: “Fertilisers are one of the biggest cost components in horticulture,” Van Rensen notes. “In substrate-based greenhouse vegetable production, they can account for up to 40 percent of input costs.” Plants do not use all the nutrients in the fertiliser solution. By collecting and reusing nutrient-rich drain water, farmers can significantly reduce those costs. “That means they can recover their investment within two to three years.”

Proven results accelerate adoption

At first, growers were cautious. The full installation costs between 75,000 and 100,000 US dollars. “That is a serious investment,” Van Rensen acknowledges. “Farmers are understandably hesitant. Yet once the results became visible, interest grew more quickly.”

Encouraged by the results, both participating farmers expanded the area covered by the drain water collection system at their own expense. “During the project, this increased to full coverage on one farm (1 hectare) and to around 50 percent (1.5 hectares) on the other,” says Van Rensen. The grower with three hectares is continuing to expand the system, aiming for full coverage by 2027. “In Vietnam, farmers can be sceptical,” Van Rensen says. “But if they see something works, they often move fast.”

Beyond the greenhouse

The project also feeds into a broader discussion about water management in Dalat. Rapid greenhouse development has contributed to local flooding during heavy rainfall. “Greenhouses are sometimes seen as part of the problem,” Van Rensen says. “But they can also be part of the solution.” If each greenhouse were required to capture and store rainwater – an approach already widely applied in Dutch greenhouse horticulture – it could both reduce flood peaks and decrease groundwater extraction, he argues. The consortium is sharing these ideas with the Netherlands Embassy in order to explore possible policy dialogue. “Changes in regulation take time,” he says. “But projects like this show what is possible.”

Building trust for scaling up

For Van Rensen, one lesson stands out. “For solutions to be adopted by farmers, it is very important to demonstrate clear results,” he says. “A pilot site that farmers can visit is therefore very helpful.” Equally important, he emphasises, is local presence. “A strong local partner and a hands-on team are essential. Without people on the ground who understand the local context and can solve problems quickly, implementation will be difficult.”

Building on these experiences, the consortium now aims to see two to five additional growers adopt the system in the coming years. By combining Dutch water technology with local entrepreneurship, the project shows how improved water management can deliver both environmental and economic gains. As Van Rensen concludes: “If the results are clear and the system proves reliable, farmers will decide for themselves.”

Vietnam is one of the delta countries where Partners for Water works together with local partners to address water challenges. Are you working in Vietnam or interested in exploring opportunities there? Visit our Vietnam delta country page to learn more.

In western Kenya, the Nyando River catchment stretches from the highlands of Nandi County, down towards Lake Victoria. It is a landscape where farming, water and livelihoods are closely connected. However, flooding, land degradation and changing rainfall patterns have reduced arable land and are putting growing pressure on water and food security for many communities living within the catchment. Trust 2 Impact, supported by Partners for Water, aims to address these challenges through a systems approach combined with innovative financing models.

Working together with local communities, governments, knowledge institutions and partners, the initiative is developing a long-term programme for landscape restoration. Pilot activities are currently taking place in the Nyando River catchment, with a focus on agroforestry and riparian rehabilitation. We spoke with Ed Vermeulen, Managing Director of Trust 2 Impact and local community member Maurice Onyango to explore how the challenges are experienced on the ground and how Trust 2 Impact is working to address them.

Living in the middle of the catchment

Maurice is a small-scale farmer from the Awasi area in the Nyando River catchment. Like many others in his community, his livelihood depends directly on the land and on the river that runs through it. Located between the highlands upstream and Lake Victoria downstream, the area is increasingly affected by seasonal flooding. During periods of heavy rainfall, water from the upper catchment flows rapidly downstream. “We are in the middle,” Maurice explains, “when it rains in the mountains, the river breaks its banks and washes away homesteads, livestock and crops.”

Until a few years ago, farming could still provide some extra income. “With the continuous flooding, the size of the farm has been reduced,” Maurice says. “We used to sell produce. Now most people farm mainly for family survival.”

The effects of climate change also affect Lake Victoria itself. Invasive water hyacinth, thriving under current climate conditions, has taken over large parts of the shoreline. “It blocks fishermen and affects the fish we used to have,” Maurice shares. “We used to get big fish that could feed several homesteads. Today we get only very small ones.”

From ambition to action

Trust 2 Impact set out with the ambition to address the interconnected challenges of water and food systems across the wider Lake Victoria region, driven by the conviction that fragmented, short-term interventions are insufficient for complex, systemic problems. As the programme developed, however, the team realised that this broad scope was difficult to operationalise. “At first our scope was too wide,” says Ed. “All the investors believed in the aspiration, none of them believed such a scope was manageable from the start.”

As a result, Trust 2 Impact chose a clearly defined starting point: the rehabilitation of the Nyando River catchment. The programme is starting with pilot activities focused on agroforestry and riparian rehabilitation, aimed at restoring degraded land, reducing upstream flood risks and improving soil and water conditions. The ambition is to restore 60,000 hectares.

“In parallel, we are developing financing models that can support long-term investment in catchment restoration,” Ed adds. “We aim to bring different types of funders together in a way that safeguards the social purpose of the programme. The idea is that those who create value through ecosystem restoration benefit most, and that these models can be replicated as the approach scales to other regions.”

Working with complexity: applying a systemic approach

According to Ed, the challenges facing the Nyando River catchment are not isolated problems but interconnected systemic issues that need to be addressed at ecosystem scale. “When ecosystems are under pressure, communities become more vulnerable and resources start to run out. That is why you must address the root causes,” he says. “Our systems approach allows us to look at the rehabilitation of an entire ecosystem with all its complexity. But this requires moving beyond organisational silos.”

He adds that this type of collaboration does not always come naturally. “We are so used to working within the protective walls of our own silo,” he notes. “The entire approach is rooted in trusted collaborations, involving all levels of society, where partners work together on one shared mission and shared key performance indicators.”

Communities at the heart of value creation

“The community has received our programme with open arms,” says Ed. “They participate in all the meetings where we ask for their input.” This involvement reflects Trust 2 Impact’s approach, which places communities at the centre of the programme and views engagement as an ongoing, iterative process.

When Trust 2 Impact was first introduced in Awasi, the response from the people was hopeful. “The first thing that came to my mind was that help is on the way to stop the flooding,” Maurice recalls. “They gave us tree seedlings along the river and for agroforestry,” he explains. “They also gave us fruit seedlings, and agronomists showed us how to plant and take care of them.”

According to Maurice, this initial support is already making a difference. “The information and technical input we receive has helped put food on the table,” he says. “We can see better harvests.” For Trust 2 Impact, this link between restoration and shared benefit is fundamental. “In our regenerative enterprise, we are all shareholders,” Ed explains.

Success measured beyond numbers

In the end, success will be measured across social, environmental, economic and governance dimensions. “When communities can lift themselves out of poverty and ecosystem functions are restored, we know we are on the right path,” says Ed. For Maurice, success is tangible and immediate. “When flooding stops, the land that was lost to water can be reclaimed,” he says. “That means a larger area to farm, and an abundance of food.”

This is the first of a series of three articles. Stay tuned for more in-depth insights.

For centuries, batik has shaped the cultural identity and livelihoods of communities in Pekalongan, Indonesia. Yet today, the craft sits at the centre of one of the country’s most pressing water management challenges. With support from Partners for Water, Dutch and Indonesian partners are testing ways to make this heritage industry socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. Project leader Carrina Lim (The Water Agency) and technical lead Guido van Hofwegen (Resilience BV) share their ambition: building a model that batik makers can run themselves – and that can be scaled across Indonesia.

When the river turns black

In Pekalongan, the challenges are acute. Large volumes of untreated wastewater from dyeing processes, heavy use of chemicals, and extensive groundwater extraction are threatening the environment and livelihoods of the local communities.

“During parts of the year, the river literally turns black,” says Carrina. “It becomes too polluted to treat. The city can no longer use its own surface water.” With surface water unusable, batik workshops turn to groundwater. This accelerates water scarcity, land subsidence, salt intrusion and, eventually, the displacement of local communities, as the land becomes unliveable.

“The problem is not only environmental. It is also cultural and economic,” says Carrina. “Batik is part of our heritage, traditionally passed down from mothers to daughters over generations. Yet now the very practice is threatening the environment it depends on. Young people look at this sector and think: why stay? It feels like a doomsday scenario.”

The Green Batik Pekalongan pilot

The two-year Green Batik Pekalongan pilot aims to address the water pollution and availability challenges in Indonesia’s batik sector. It originated from work that Carrina and her team began in 2022, when they first explored Dutch and international solutions for Pekalongan’s wastewater challenges. “We realised quickly how sensitive the topic was,” she says. “You cannot parachute in with a solution – you need to understand the craft, the community, and the constraints first.” By engaging local entrepreneurs, universities, the government and residents, the team continued exploring both technical options and a new business model.

As the concept took shape, The Water Agency brought together a wider coalition to co-design the pilot. The Water Agency leads strategy and community engagement; Resilience BV oversees on-site engineering; Saxion University and Rietland contribute filtration and wetland expertise; and Universitas Pekalongan (UNIKAL) anchors the project locally as the future Green Batik Centre.

Building trust through collaboration

“When we first began discussing wastewater treatment with local producers, it wasn’t a welcome conversation,” Carrina recalls. “People know wastewater is an issue, but they don’t know where to start – and they fear the cost and the risk of changing.” Rather than pushing a problem narrative, the consortium reframed the challenge as an opportunity.

“We asked: what if the first ‘Green Batik’ comes from Pekalongan? Would you like to work with us on that?” Carrina explains. “That made people excited. It became a shared discussion, a shared journey. From that point on, we could begin talking about water as one of the obstacles standing in the way.”

“Currently we are working with four batik entrepreneurs,” Guido adds. “Eventually the pilot aims to work with ten.” These first four workshops – now known as Batik Champions – co-design, host testing and demonstrate the new systems. “They are deeply involved and genuinely collaborative,” he says. Carrina agrees: “This shift from compliance to ownership is essential. Our problems are also their problems. Our successes are also theirs. It’s the foundation of trust.”

Shells and air bubbles

At its core, the solution is deliberately simple. “We created a ‘wetland-in-a-tank’ concept using technical knowledge from our consortium partner Rietland,” Guido explains. “It functions like an artificial wetland, where bacteria living on the filter material break down the wax used in the dying process, dye residues and even faeces.”

Most components are locally sourced, reused waste products. “We fill second-hand tanks with waste seashells from restaurants,” Guido says. “They have a huge surface area for bacteria to live on.” With aeration from small pumps, the process becomes remarkably effective. According to Guido, the water is now around 90% cleaner than before treatment. “It goes from pitch black to almost transparent – cleaner than tea,” he says. “We’re still working on the final ten percent.”

“Ultimately, the goal is to make the system circular,” Carrina adds. “This way, the treated water could be reused in parts of the batik process, reducing groundwater use and closing the loop within each workshop”.

The team refines the system through trial and error. “Early on, insufficient oxygen supply caused the bacteria to die and clog the system,” Guido says. In another case, a workshop’s self-built masonry tank collapsed under its own weight. “The shells filled half the workspace,” Carrina recalls. Yet these setbacks strengthened cooperation. “Everything we do, we’re figuring out together with the entrepreneurs,” she says.

New opportunities

The project also invests in the next generation. Through a collaboration with the Dutch football association’s KNVB WorldCoaches programme, young people learn leadership and environmental awareness by linking sport to sustainable batik. “They learn responsibility – for themselves, for others and for their environment,” Carrina says.
The Dutch Embassy in Jakarta has further expanded opportunities through a Green Batik Design Challenge. “It shows that going green doesn’t only require extra effort,” Carrina explains. “It opens doors: new networks, new markets, new visibility. This is inspiring for local entrepreneurs.”

Looking ahead

The coming year will focus on technical refinement, cost optimisation and replication. The economic model is equally critical. “We are disrupting business-as-usual,” Carrina says. “Once we have a business model, we can begin talking to interested parties to scale up the solution.”

If successful, Pekalongan’s model could inspire sustainable batik production across Indonesia. For Guido, the clearest sign of success is market adoption: “If one workshop outside the project decides to buy the system, that’s when we know we’ve really achieved something.”

Salinity threatens agricultural productivity and water security worldwide. In response, the Dutch organisation The Salt Doctors, together with consortium partners Delphy and Plug ‘n’ Grow, is piloting a practical and scalable solution in Egypt’s Nile Delta. Supported by Partners for Water, the team has been testing low-cost hydroponic systems that allow farmers to grow crops even when soil and groundwater are too saline for traditional cultivation. Bas Bruning from The Salt Doctors shares the ins and outs of the ProSal-Hydro project.

A simple idea for a complex challenge

In Egypt’s Nile Delta, around 40% of farmland is severely affected by salinity. Rising sea levels, inefficient irrigation, and poor drainage is gradually turning soils more saline. “People directly affected by salinity are often small-scale farmers,” explains Bas Bruning, Saline Agriculture Specialist at The Salt Doctors. “They work on marginal land, often with poor soil quality and saline water. On top of that, they often have few resources to adapt. To accommodate them, we wanted to design something that is simple, robust and affordable.”

The project’s approach bypasses saline soils entirely: crops grow in nutrient-rich water rather than in the ground. “We developed an open hydroponic system that grows vegetables in floating trays. It can be used in the harsh conditions of the warm and saline Nile Delta,” says Bruning. “By keeping the design minimal we can ensure it works even in remote areas. And to make it affordable, we use locally available materials wherever possible.”

On top of that, the system uses around 80% less water compared to conventional irrigation. Bruning explains: “Water loss through evaporation is almost eliminated because the surface is fully covered by floating trays. Plants still transpire, but the absence of open water drastically reduces overall water use.”

At five pilot sites across the delta region, the team has now succeeded in cultivating vegetables year-round. “Initially, trials faced predictable challenges,” shares Bruning. “The first crops included pak choi. However, this variety was unfamiliar to local consumers. We soon realised that even the most salt-tolerant crop is useless if no one wants to buy it. So we switched to local lettuce and cabbage varieties that locals already know and that the farmers could sell at the market.”

From scepticism to success

Convincing farmers to experiment with a new growing method took time. For many, the idea of producing vegetables in floating trays rather than soil seemed counterintuitive. “At first, the local farmers didn’t trust our solution. But as results improved, perceptions shifted,” says Bruning.

“Through a combination of technical training, field visits, and peer-to-peer learning, farmers began to see consistent quality and reliable yields.” A real turning point came when they received positive feedback from the market about their hydroponically grown cabbages. “Though smaller in size, they were denser, tastier, and fetched better prices,” says Bruning. “This convinced the farmers that the new cultivation system could be profitable and give their incomes a real boost.”

The project also benefited from collaboration with two Master’s students from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. These students conducted social and technical research on farmer engagement. Their findings confirmed what the field experience showed: alignment between local practices, perceptions and new technology is key to adoption. “It’s not just about the technology,” Bruning emphasises, “it’s also about building trust”.

Technology shaped by experience

“Earlier systems in the Netherlands, Tunisia and Vietnam performed well with brackish water and salt tolerant crops. They demonstrated that this approach can support food production in saline environments. In Egypt, depending on the location, we use brackish or fresh water.”

The system in Egypt has evolved through hands-on experimentation. Early prototypes used different types of pumps, pots and rafts until the team found the right combination. The focus remained on ensuring durability and reducing costs without compromising quality. “Some components – like one key pump – are still imported from the Netherlands to guarantee quality,” says Bruning. “But most parts are now sourced locally.”

“Affordability is our biggest design constraint,” Bruning notes. “We’re still looking for ways to lower the return-on-investment time for smallholders. That means further simplifying the system while maintaining stable performance.”

Scaling salinity solutions

As the project approaches its final stages, the focus turns to consolidating lessons learned and preparing for broader application. The next phase focuses on scaling up – both technically and socially. Two new farmers have already joined the project, and they requested pilot hydroponic systems that were recently added. “In the long run, we hope to see a network of small hydroponic farms across the delta,” Bruning explains. “If we can support a hundred farmers in one area, providing weekly monitoring and training, this will make a promising impact on food security at the local level.

The project has developed a new instructional video for the hydroponics system, featuring footage from our demonstration sites.

In Ghana, many families still lack reliable access to safe drinking water. In order to make contaminated water drinkable, it is often boiled on top of open fires – a practice that harms health, contributes to deforestation and releases greenhouse gases. With support from Partners for Water, Dutch organisation Element15 has introduced an alternative: BAR filtration systems that provides clean water straight from the source, while reducing CO₂ emissions through an innovative carbon financing model.

An innovative solution financed by carbon credits

Element15’s BAR filtration systems allow families to drink water safely and directly from the source – without the need to boil it on burning wood. This benefits both the villages where the systems are installed and the global climate.

What sets this project apart is its financing model. Because boiling water is no longer required, significant greenhouse gas emissions are avoided. These emission reductions are converted into certified carbon credits – units that companies can purchase to offset their own emissions. Element15 sells these credits and uses the income to keep the systems running, carry out maintenance and expand to new communities.

Tracing carbon credits

Each filtration system is equipped with a digital IoT water meter that records precisely how much carbon is saved. On the online platform, anyone can trace where a credit originates from, the specific village, the filtration unit and which meter. All credits are independently verified and meet international standards such as the Gold Standard, a globally recognised certification for carbon credits from projects that meet certain environmental and social standards.

Impact for people and planet

The outcomes are significant. Families gain access to safe drinking water without the health risks of wood fires. Women and children spend less time collecting firewood, freeing up hours for education or income-generating activities. Deforestation is reduced, CO₂ emissions are cut and local employment is created through training for system installation and maintenance.

In Nyeri County, Kenya, a team of Dutch and Kenyan partners is testing a water technology innovation that could transform local fish farming. Supported by Partners for Water, the Affordable Recirculating Aquaculture System pilot project (A-RAS-2) is led by the Food Systems and Poverty Alleviation (FOSPA) Foundation in Africa, in collaboration with FOSPA-Kenya and Systemic Consultancy. The project addresses Kenya’s severe protein deficit and the recurring challenges of drought. Project leads Katrine Soma and Charles Mbauni share how it works.

A systems approach

At its core, A-RAS-2 offers small-scale fish farmers a water-efficient, nutrient-reusing, solar-powered alternative to traditional ponds. The pilot project aims to demonstrate that these systems can produce up to 25 times more fish while using only 2–5 percent of the water required in conventional ponds and providing manure for the farmer’s mixed farming systems.

But A-RAS- 2 is more than just a new water technology, it adopts a systems approach built on a deep understanding of the local food system and its interlinked challenges. Beyond addressing farmer’s needs, the project strengthens multiple links in the chain. It stimulates local entrepreneurship in producing technology components and fish marketing and improves consumers access to affordable, nutritious food. On a wider scale, it contributes to climate-neutral, resource-efficient food production with the potential to save over 216 million cubic metres of water per year across Kenya.

From research to practice

For nearly a decade, social scientist Katrine Soma has studied Kenya’s food systems with a particular focus on fish. She works at Wageningen Social and Economic Research and is the chair and founder of the FOSPA-Africa Foundation in the Netherlands. Working closely alongside her is Charles Mbauni, chairman of the Nyeri Fish Farmers Cooperative Society and co-founder and chair of FOSPA-Kenya.

“I have worked in Kenya since 2018, researching bottlenecks in the fish food system,” explains Soma. “Through FOSPA-Africa, Charles and I combine research and implementation hand in hand.”

Mbauni adds: “As chairman of the cooperative, I saw first-hand the challenges in water use, fish growth and costly technology. That is how the idea of an affordable recirculating aquaculture system was born.”

Transforming challenges into innovations

“Kenya, like much of the Horn of Africa, faces chronic food insecurity, mostly driven by climate change and recurring droughts,” says Mbauni. “Protein is in particularly short supply. When drought strikes, traditional sources such as beef and sheep are no longer sustainable due to their high water footprint.”

Recognizing this, the government launched the ‘Eat More Fish’ campaign to promote fish consumption,” explains Soma. Mbauni adds: “Demand for fish is high and far exceeds local production. In fact, 70 per cent of fish consumed in Kenya is imported.”

Against this backdrop, A-RAS offers a breakthrough. “Traditional ponds are about 300m2 and stock no more than five fish per cubic metre, producing around 280 kilograms per pond,” notes Mbauni. “By contrast, A-RAS can reach densities of nearly 200 fish per cubic metre, producing more than 7,000 kilograms in the same space.”

“This is an enormous difference,” says Soma. “It means more fish, more protein, and at the same time we release land and water for other purposes”.

Practical, affordable and circular water technology

The technology is both innovative and pragmatic. “Recirculating aquaculture systems are usually expensive,” says Soma. “We focused on affordability – using local materials, cheaper or second-hand parts and high quality components where essential.” The result is a mix of simple tanks and advanced yet affordable water management.

“The tanks are made locally and in a simple yet durable manner,” explains Mbauni. “At the same time, the air and water pumps are high quality and supplied by Dutch entrepreneurs.” A settling tank filters solid waste, which is reused as fertiliser. A nitrification tank with microorganism removes nitrogen. Different oxygenation technologies are being tested, including nano and microbubbles.

Mbauni continuous: “Each system has six tanks with fish at different growth stages, allowing farmers to maintain a steady income throughout the year. This enables them to reinvest in quality feed essential for water and fish health.”

Soma concludes: “In the end, it is high-tech translated into practical, affordable solutions. And because the system runs on solar energy for water recirculation, it is climate neutral,”

Consortium and partners

The pilot project builds on a feasibility study carried out by FOSPA-Africa together with AquaFarmingConsult and Wageningen University & Research, supported by Partners for Water.

In this second phase, the consortium consists of FOSPA-Africa, FOSPA-Kenya and Systemic Consultancy. FOSPA-Africa brings together research, implementation and technical and financial expertise to refine the water technology and develop accessible business models for scaling.

Engaging stakeholders

From the start, farmers have been at the heart of the project. Mbauni represents a cooperative of around 1,000 fish farmers whose feedback informs every stage of the process. To ensure diversity, five farmers were involved in both the feasibility study and the pilot, among them women, young farmers and a disabled farmer.

“Working with the cooperative means we know immediately what works and what doesn’t,” says Soma. “Farmers tell us: this is a good idea, that is not. This direct communication saves time and ensures solutions are truly practical and acceptable.”

This bottom-up approach goes beyond farmers. In Kibera, Nairobi’s largest informal settlement, local leaders, consumers and women vendors co-created solutions for fish distribution. “Our solution is not an external, foreign thing,” says Mbauni. “It’s embedded in the community, where people trust and support each other.”

Next steps

To advance the project, the consortium has built a new A-RAS-2 facility in Nyeri County. “This enables gathering of reliable data and refining oxygenation technologies, with the first results expected next year,” says Soma.

On this basis, the project aims to scale up across Kenya, moving from fish production to a complete food system with feed, fingerlings, processing and training hubs. “We’re developing financing models to make the systems accessible for small-scale farmers,” notes Mbauni. “The long-term goal is to turn proven pilots into a nationwide movement, with potential expansion to neighbouring countries such as Uganda and Ethiopia.”

Innovation in progress series

The Partners for Water 5 programme (2022 – 2027) follows several projects that received the Partners for Water subsidy from start to finish. Over the next few years, these projects will take you on their journey of testing the feasibility or application of innovative solutions to enhance water safety and water security abroad. You’ll be able to gain insights into their processes, collaborations with local partners and their potential solutions; as well as their struggles, challenges and their lessons learned. Discover all projects. 

In 2006, a night-time rainstorm triggered a devastating flood in the Ethiopian city of Dire Dawa. Water up to four meters high surged through residential areas, claiming 260 lives and displacing thousands. With no warning system, residents were completely unprepared. These flash floods are a growing problem in African cities, where rapid urbanisation and inadequate infrastructure leave residents vulnerable.

A Dutch-African consortium, led by HKV is addressing this challenge through an innovative warning system, funded by the Partners for Water programme. The approach uses satellite data to generate crucial information for flood management and emergency responses. Dorien Lugt, Water and Climate Consultant at HKV, shares insights on this promising solution.

Floods without warning

“Many urban areas in Africa are not prepared for heavy rainfall”, says project leader Dorien Lugt. “This creates situations that are not only disruptive, but can also be life-threatening.”

“One of the major causes of the problem is the lack of reliable precipitation information,” Lugt explains. “In the Netherlands, we have rain radar; we can see where it’s raining at any moment. In many African countries, this information does not exist. There are often no radars and the ground stations that do exist only measure rainfall at one particular point and often do not automatically transmit data.”

Satellites as a solution

To address this problem, the consortium, consisting of HKV, Deltares, the Red Cross, TAHMO and ICPAC, are focusing on an early warning system for urban areas. Lugt explains how the consortium was brought together: “HKV and Deltares, are strong in flood risk management, “TAHMO measures rainfall throughout Africa, the Red Cross knows how to communicate effectively during disasters, ICPAC is a regional organisation, supporting 11 east African countries with weather and climate information.” The consortium uses satellites that look at Africa every 15 minutes and can detect rain. “This provides a comprehensive map – comparable to rain radar – of where and how much rain is falling.”

“We integrate this satellite data into a computer simulation to generate detailed flood forecasts with a six-hour lead time,” says Lugt. “Our team then translates these technical predictions into actionable information for the city: Which neighbourhoods face imminent danger? When is the flood expected? And most critically, how can we ensure residents not only receive these warnings in time but also understand how to respond effectively?”

This timing is critical. In Dire Dawa, sometimes only a few hours separate mountain rainfall from flooding in the city. “When you know it’s raining in the mountains, you must act quickly,” says Lugt. “For example, evacuating a busy market with hundreds of vendors in a dry riverbed before the water arrives.”

Local cooperation is the key

Dire Dawa was chosen as a pilot location due to the tangible risks and the existing involvement of local parties. “We initially contacted the Ministry of Water, the disaster management organisation and the municipality. They were immediately enthusiastic,” Lugt recalls.

The local community plays an important role: “People from the city took photos of bridges and drainage points. Based on this, we developed a model of the city and simulated the 2006 flood,” says Lugt. Local knowledge was also used to fill in the gaps on historical water level measurements. “Normally, you compare models with measured water levels. Instead, we asked the residents how high the water level was in different years. That provided surprisingly useful information.”

Innovations on multiple fronts

The project innovates at three levels. “First, we use satellite data that until now were underutilised. Second, we model the city in unprecedented detail using Deltares’ rapid modelling tool. And third, we’re working with the Red Cross on new protocols. Unlike traditional disaster plans, which often look days ahead, urban protocols must anticipate sudden events. That requires a different way of working and communicating,” Lugt adds

A model for the future

The collaboration is going well, despite challenges in finding the right approach. “Ethiopia was new terrain for most of us. But, the enthusiasm from the local partners has been contagious. They even indicated that they want to learn modelling themselves, so now we offer an online training every two weeks.”

“The project runs until the end of 2025. Now that the rainy season is starting, we agreed that we will run the system and that the Ethiopian team will monitor what happens. This way, we can see how well it works and what we can still improve.”

According to Lugt, the goal is clear: “With this project, we not only want to make Dire Dawa safer, but also demonstrate that this approach works for other African cities facing similar flood risks. Because the problem is widespread and the need for solutions is urgent.”

Continue the conversation: join the Meet-up 29 January

Dorien Lugt is also featured in the podcast episode #9 Early Warning! released on 22 January. On 29 January we will continue the conversation live in-person at Bar Beton at Utrecht Central. The meet-up on 29 January builds on the insights from the Waterproof podcast episode 9.