Published in February 2026

Sand Dams Worldwide has been shortlisted for a Water Air Food Award (WAFA) in the Water category.

Please click here to vote for us to win a Water Air Food Award (WAFA) before 30th April.

About the WAFA Awards

Established in 2006, The Water Air Food Awards (WAFA) recognises and empowers grassroots initiatives that make a lifesaving impact in addressing global challenges related to water, air, and food security. The awards inspire and support practical, community-based solutions that promote sustainability and improve lives around the world.

WAFA's work is made possible by the generous support of sponsors, patrons, and volunteers around the world who contribute their time, talents, and financial resources. Each year, WAFA select one “Silent Hero” from each of their award categories—Water, Air, Food, and Youth. These winners will receive full support from WAFA to help them achieve their goals, including funding, coaching, workshops, and mentorship from industry leaders and experts. 

"WAFA strives to become a global awards platform that celebrates and amplifies sustainable water, air, and food innovations developed by local silent heroes around the world. We honors community-based innovators, our Silent Heroes, whose nature-based approaches deliver tangible solutions to benefit mankind."
- Tina Lindgreen, WAFA Founder.

Why you should vote for Sand Dams Worldwide

Sand Dams Worldwide supports some of the world’s poorest people to transform their own lives through water and soil conservation in drylands.

We work with local in-country partners to help vulnerable rural dryland communities to build sand dams; a sustainable, nature-based and cost-effective rainwater harvesting technology that can last upwards of 60 years and capture up to 40 million litres of water, replenishing every rainy season. That water is stored safe from disease and evaporation within the sand. It’s easily extractable via pipework connected to hand-pumps and taps, with one sand dam providing enough year-round water for over 1,000 people. For more information about how sand dams work, watch this short animation:

Sand dams empower communities, putting their future firmly in their own hands. They are one of the lowest cost rainwater harvesting techniques, providing clean water for life for as little as £18 per person. They cost less than both underground and above ground tanks per 1,000 litres of water provided. Costs are kept down by the fact that communities contribute to most sand dam projects (e.g. by providing basic construction materials and labour), but also because once built, sand dams require little to no maintenance, and have no operational costs.

Sand dams also play a significant role in mitigating the effects of climate change, including reversing land degradation. They raise groundwater levels through slowing down the rate of run-off and capturing rainwater that would otherwise be lost as run-off, while allowing most water to continue downstream. The slowing down of water runoff allows water to infiltrate the soil, resulting in vegetation recovery, reduced erosion and restored degraded land and regreened environments. 

While Sand Dams Worldwide’s work often starts with a sand dam, it’s certainly not where it ends. Once water and time are available, a wealth of opportunities arise. We also work through partners to advise communities on improved climate-smart agriculture and environmental protection techniques, such as terracing, developing seed banks and the planting of drought-resistant crops and trees; empowering families to grow enough food to eat, store and sell in the face of climate change and drought.

Sand Dams Worldwide currently has programmes in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia and two in Kenya (one in the southeast working with self-help community groups, and another in Tsavo National Park focusing on supporting local wildlife).

Our lifetime achievements

Since 2002, Sand Dams Worldwide have enabled the construction of over 1,480 sand dams across 10 countries, providing over 1.2 million people with lifelong access to clean water. We have also supported communities to dig over 1.9 million metres of terracing and plant over 1.5 million trees. To read our full impact report, please click here.

To vote for Sand Dams Worldwide to win a Water Air Food Award (WAFA), please click here!