Honduras Project

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Director Campana and Loring Green of Lifewater International visited Honduras in January 2001 to survey the area around the city of Puerto Cortes (on the Caribbean Coast, just north of San Pedro Sula) for possible Lifewater International and WRP projects. The floodplains of the Rio Ulua - Rio Choloma were explored for possible shallow well drilling projects using the LS-100. A number of potential sites were identified.

More potential work may exist in the mountain villages just southwest of Puerto Cortes. One such place is Nueva Vida, a village of 170 families (c. 1100 people), located about 400 meters above mean sea level in the steep hills just south of Omoa, a town west of Puerto Cortes. The village subsists on farming (maize is the main crop), cultivating the steep hillslopes. A new gravity-flow water system is being designed by a local teacher and water activist, Alex del Cid Uriel. The water system will be fed by a large spring at 800 meters elevation.

On his visit Director Campana discussed with Mr. del Cid the prospect of having students work with him and the villagers to develop a plan to manage their community in a sustainable manner. He was extremely enthusiastic at this prospect. The class would:

• map current land-use patterns;
• assist in the construction of a gravity-flow system;
• determine current/future waste disposal needs and options;
• assess water quality;
• assess the sustainability of the area vis-a-vis projected future growth;
• suggest options.

We will be conducting a portion of the summer field class, WR 573, in the Nueva Vida area this summer (2001), and probably again in summer 2002. There is also great potential for continued work in villages besides Nueva Vida, so future classes and Professional Projects are strong possibilities.

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