ApproTEC

The main questions about the promotion of technologies for economic development come from environmentalists. When it comes to micro-irrigation technologies they are concerned about the depletion of ground water and the overuse, salination and degradation of agricultural land. While these are valid concerns, the challenge for any of us promoting technologies for economic development is to identify those technologies and those business models that produce the maximum economic good with minimal environmental impact.

ApproTEC’s MoneyMaker Deep Lift Pump fits this bill. Because this pump is manually operated, users are unlikely to apply any more than the minimum amount of water required to grow their crops – it is simply too much work. And because they are pressure pumps, the water is sprayed onto the plants through a directed hosepipe, which is much more water efficient and much less likely to cause soil salinity than is channel or flood irrigation. Finally, because it can only pull water from eighteen meters deep, this pump only uses ground water and water from shallow aquifers, which are replenished every rainy season and thus difficult to deplete.

The Deep Lift Pump uses human power, and accommodates barefoot users. It costs less than $150 but withstands harsh environment. It is small and light enough to carry on a bicycle or public transportation and uses materials and manufacturing techniques common to Kenya, such as arc welding, inconsistent sizes of mild and galvanized steel, and plastic pipe. It installs and runs without special knowledge or tools, and requires little to no maintenance.

Only when people can feed, look after and educate their families will they protect their local environments. Before that they will chop down and sell every last tree just to try and survive.