Water powers prosperity: Ms. Piv Han's journey

In Cambodia's remote Ratanakiri province, water scarcity poses a significant barrier to rural development. Despite the presence of the Mekong River, many indigenous communities face seasonal shortages, affecting women entrepreneurs like Ms. Piv Han of Ta Veaeng district. Ms. Piv Han represents one of the numerous indigenous community members in North Eastern Cambodia whose way of life is threatened by shifting rainfall patterns and inadequate infrastructure. This situation creates competition among household needs, livestock, and crops for the limited water resource.

As a determined widow running a piggery, Ms. Piv Han's business constantly faced water scarcity. Each dry season brought mounting anxiety as water sources dwindled. She spent hours transporting water from distant locations to ensure her pigs received the necessary hydration, which took a physical toll on her and significantly reduced her productivity.

The Biodiverse Landscape Fund project addressed this challenge through a co-investment partnership, installing a solar-powered water pump system that directly draws water from the Sesan River to her home. Before, I was always tied up with carrying water, especially during the dry season, and as a widow, I couldn’t do as much as I wanted,” recalls Ms. Han. “Now, I just press a button, and I can manage everything. I water the pigs in the afternoon, vegetables in the morning and evening, and do other housework. I also want to start grazing the cows and build a concrete pig house using the money I make from selling pigs.” The solar-powered water pump’s technology offered multiple advantages in the remote setting—it requires no fuel, has minimal maintenance needs, and harnesses Cambodia’s abundant sunshine to provide reliable water access throughout the year. The installation was accompanied by technical training on system maintenance and optimal water use for irrigating crops.

The impact was transformative. With reliable access to water, her pigs thrived with reduced heat stress. Ms. Han quickly diversified her activities by establishing a vegetable garden that provides nutrition for her family along with surplus for local sales, and she expanded into cattle raising. "With the solar pump, everything changed," Ms. Han explains. "My pigs are healthy now, but that was just the beginning. I have vegetables growing year-round, and I've even started raising cattle. Water gives life to everything it touches.”

Her increased income now supports her children's education while also building savings for future expansion. This success has created ripple effects throughout her community, as neighbours witness her transformation and explore similar solutions. “In our village, we have always helped each other survive,” says Ms. Han. “Now I can help others thrive. When women from neighbouring households ask how I transformed my situation, I tell them it began with solving the water problem.”

The project encountered significant challenges in this remote area, where limited access to technical expertise and difficult transportation conditions hindered equipment delivery. SNV's approach involved connecting isolated communities with technical service providers from provincial towns, thereby creating market development pathways for future innovations.

The Biodiverse Landscape Fund is replicating this successful model with other families around Virachey National Park, building a network of rural entrepreneurs who use sustainable technology to overcome barriers to prosperity.