Congratulations to our fellow EWB members in Durango! The following is an extract of an article that appeared in ESRI’s ARC News magazine. Well worth reading, the complete article is available in the Downloads section
Ban Phakeo is located on the edge of the so called “Plain of Jars,” a landscape dotted throughout with hundreds of stone jars, some over three meters tall, and all estimated to be as much as two thousand years old. Though similar in most respects to scores of other highland villages in Laos, Ban Phakeo is unique in that it is situated in close proximity to one of tile most extensive and evocative-of these archaeological sites.
The Fort Lewis College (Durango, Colorado) chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has partnered with UNESCO to address the most pressing of the region’s infrastructure needs, including the construction of a water system in Ban Phakeo. In May 2008, this first critical step was accomplished, and for the first time, the village now enjoys an ample supply of clean drinking water.
Designing and constructing a water system, even one that meets the simple, sustainable, appropriate technology requirements of development in communities like Ban Phakeo, requires a great deal of data. Distances and elevation differentials between potential water sources and the community; the layout and demographics of the community; the location and nature of potential terrain obstacles; the best sites for storage tanks and water taps; and the locations where pressure break tanks, air release valves, and other pipeline components will be needed are all important considerations. As a result, detailed and accurate mapping of the project area is typically a critical first step in the process. In Ban Phakeo, ArcGIS technology-especially ArcPad mobile GIS-proved to be an essential tool.
In December 2007, two EWB-FLC team members traveled to Ban Phakeo to identify and map potential water sources and pipeline routes. At first, villagers suggested a variety of small water seeps in the vicinity of the village as possible sources for the new system. Taken together, it was estimated that seven of these seeps could probably supply sufficient water for the village, but the quality of several of these sources was questionable, and the need to build a system of pipelines from each of tile seven sites to central storage tanks would be complex given the mountainous terrain surrounding the village. After an evening of discussion, village leaders mentioned a small stream that they knew had good, clean water but that was thought to be too far away. Given tile uncertainty of the seeps, the team decided to examine this stream and make detailed measurements of its distance and elevation.
For the conclusion of the story download the full article.
