Current Situation in Honduras
Honduras is the poorest and least developed country in Central America. Nearly one-fifth of the rural population does not have access to safe drinking water, and nearly half do not have proper sanitary facilities. Honduras has a six-month dry season. During this time, families must walk long distances to find larger streams. In addition, deforestation has caused many traditional groundwater resources to disappear, forcing families to walk greater distances to find water. Latin America was devastated by an epidemic of cholera in 1991 causing thousands of deaths. Most of these deaths could have been prevented with simple safe water systems and latrines.
The work of Water 1st is focused in the mountainous Lempira district. The southern area of Department of Lempira is one of the poorest and most vulnerable regions of the country, not only due to its limited access to good and basic services, but also due to the high vulnerability of the ecosystems that are continuously aggravated by reoccurring droughts and the degradation of soil and forests. The communities here sit detached from the country’s economic centers and basic public services. Communities are extremely limited in their resources, relying on subsistence agriculture to meet the basic needs of the people.
2010 Project Goals:
- Water systems to be constructed: 4
- People to be served: 1,326
Completed Projects:
- 2 Water Systems
- 580 people served
Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Education and Water Source Protection
Water 1st provides grants to our Honduran partner organization who works with beneficiary communities to implement water, sanitation, health education, and water source protection projects. Because of the mountainous geography of the region where our local partner organization works, water systems in Honduras are be spring-fed, gravity flow, with connections to individual household water taps and wash basins with drainage for grey water. Latrines are pit latrines or pour-flush latrines, depending on the amount of water available. In order to address the growing problem of deforestation, villagers receive extensive education in water source protection so they can understand the relationship between forest cover and groundwater resources as well as learn new agricultural practices that better maintain forest cover.
Long-Term Operation and Maintenace
People participating in the project elect a water committee to manage the project. Volunteer plumbers from the community are trained to operate and maintain the water system. Households also pay a monthly user fee to the water committee is used to pay for the operation and maintenance of the water system.
Honduras Background Information
Honduras is the poorest and least developed country in Central America. Nearly one-fifth of the rural population does not have access to safe drinking water, and nearly half do not have proper sanitary facilities. Honduras has a six-month dry season. During this time, families must walk long distances to find larger streams. In addition, deforestation has caused many traditional groundwater resources to disappear, forcing families to walk further and further distances to find water. Latin America was devastated by an epidemic of cholera in 1991, causing thousands of deaths. Most of these deaths could have been prevented with simple safe water systems and latrines.
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