Small Seeds, Big Change, a collaborative animation between Borderlands Restoration Network and School of Art Animation I students illustrating and advocating for the positive impact of BRN’s work in creating a healthy and stable relationship between culture and biodiversity.
Water Harvesting in the Borderlands; Environmental Effects and Cultural Solutions
Introduction to the Issue
Arizona has a problem with groundwater; over-depletion, contamination and unsustainable comsumption are some of the biggest issues citizens of this state face. Arizona overpumps its groundwater, which is causing aquifers to decline. The groundwater these aquifers store soaked into the earth thousands of years ago; this water is now being overconsumed by farmlands and cities, causing the aquifers to be depleted faster than they were filled. When watersheds are degraded, rainfall runs off quickly rather than slowly infiltrating the ground to recharge aquifers. Plants are also affected by this unsustainable water harvesting. The overpumping of groundwater has caused a loss of vegetation, leaving the topsoil exposed, leaving the soil to dry out and more susceptible to erosion. Lack of vegetation to soak up rainwater and hold the soil in place can also cause an increase in erosion. Erosion from farmland mixed with pesticides and fertilizer can contaminate streams and other freshwater sources and clog dry wells when the contaminated soil is blown into it.
Borderlands Restoration Network + Solutions
Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN) wants to improve these issues with a focus on community and youth engagement and implementing indigenous water practices to try and mitigate the problems regarding water harvesting on the borderlands. Restoring watersheds is one vital way to address groundwater depletion. Rainwater harvesting is another method of resolution that BRN specifically works on. By capturing rainwater and allowing it to recharge aquifers and replenish watersheds it reduces the overreliance on groundwater. This makes it a powerful tool for rebuilding watersheds and promoting responsible water management.
“Water is Life”
BRN’s “Water is Life” initiative incorporates community members, which raises awareness about water scarcity issues and encourages responsible water usage and the adoption of passive water harvesting techniques. 18 years after its implementation, the “Water is Life '' has dramatically benefited the surrounding populations and the land they reside on. The water tables have begun to restore and inspire confidence in the area's youth, which shows a dramatic increase in retention to organizations that serve similar purposes as BRN and, in general, increases awareness and education of these issues. The work the interns have been completing has helped increase pollination activity, which leads to a general increase in biodiversity and ecological resilience.
What Next?
Continuation of the vital work of BRN is critical to long-term success. For 18 years, BRN’s “Water is Life” initiative has planted the seeds for a better water future. By expanding current initiatives and monitoring previous ones, BRN can improve and expand its operations. Outside BRN, partnerships with local authorities can be expanded to include more cisterns and passive collection systems. This expansion can encompass more interns from Baboquivari to scale up efforts to increase biodiversity. Past works will pave the way for future opportunities as crucial stakeholders in Greater Patagonia begin to reap the benefits of BRN’s conservation efforts.
Small Seeds, Big Change
full video