EWB/JETS Activities
Project #1: Dam Needed in Cambodia!
In the Balang Commune of the Siem Reap Province in Cambodia, residents have been dealing with a severe food shortage since an earthen levee, or dam, was destroyed during the 2000 rainy season. The Balang Commune depended on the water stored by the dam for irrigation to prevent flooding and in order to water their rice crops. Investigations have shown that the previous levee failures were due to overtopping, meaning that flood waters exceeded the height levee causing waves to come crashing over the top. Although the community has fixed much of the flood damage, they now struggle to find enough water for proper irrigation. Currently without sufficient water, the people of this area can only harvest one rice crop every year. EWB would like work with you to help villagers create a new method for water storage and water distribution to enhance agriculture in the region by allowing enough water to harvest two rice crops every year and increase vegetable crop yields from affected areas.
A few groups are working together on this project including the Commune Council, monks from the temple at Wat Trach, Human Translation, and Engineers Without Borders (EWB). The monks worked with the government to come up with an idea for how to repair the dam. Human Translation became involved in the project and asked EWB to help provide engineering expertise.
The villagers need water to irrigate their crops! Why is irrigation important? Are there other ways to provide irrigation? How is a dam designed and built? What other uses are there for dams? Explore this and more in this Engineer's Without Borders Project Challenge! This is an active project that is being designed now! You can check out the project progress and learn more about this project at: http://ewbnycambodia.blogspot.com/
Click on the link below for the grade specific Lesson Plan
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