The SOIL Fund:
Addressing erosion around the world
Erosion and
sedimentation threaten food security, impede basic transportation, and even
cause loss of life and property when catastrophic slope failures bury
communities. Massive soil erosion and river sedimentation can result from
large-scale deforestation and unsustainable agriculture practices, which is a
current issue in the Amazon basin of South America
What is the SOIL Fund?
At IECA’s annual
conference in 2008, several members formed a charitable arm within the
organization, which became known as the Save Our International Land (SOIL)
Fund. Management of the SOIL Fund is carried out by a committee of
geographically diverse erosion control professionals who develop procedures,
promote the fund’s work, approve projects, raise funds, and manage financial
resources.
The name “SOIL
Fund” emphasizes the worldwide focus of the fund’s activities. With the support
of IECA membership, the fund provides technical assistance for programs and
projects that address soil erosion and sedimentation through applied
technology, education, and research.
To date, all
projects have been located in developing countries, although the committee is
open to helping underserved communities in developed countries as well. The
fund has also avoided supporting large projects using high-tech imported
materials, and instead focuses on the use of local equipment and materials to
promote sustainability.
SOIL Fund Past
Projects
In 2009, the fund conducted its first project in the village of Tsuraku
at the edge of the Amazon basin rainforest in Ecuador
In 2010 and 2011, a SOIL Fund team established a banana orchard on Easter Island – a Chilean territory in the South
Pacific. The goal of this project was to show local residents how idle,
deforested, eroded land could be used to cultivate a cash crop with a ready
market on the Chilean mainland.
Planting banana trees for a reforestation demonstration
project on Easter Island in the South
Pacific. Photo by Pablo
Garcia-Chevesich.
In 2011, Engineers
Without Borders (EWB) asked for
SOIL Fund assistance with erosion problems in Malingua Pamba , Ecuador –
a rural agricultural community in the Andes . EWB was assisting the community in developing a
potable water system. Approximately 75 eroded sites in the community were
visited to create a report recommending low-tech solutions for erosion
mitigation. In 2012 and 2013, EWB erosion control teams assisted the community
with installation of structural best management practices using local materials
and planting native vegetation at several high-priority sites along local roads
and in agricultural fields.
Volunteers from the Malingua
Pamba community in Ecuador
Future
Challenges
The SOIL Fund
faces three challenges in meeting its goal of supporting projects that improve
the lives of people around the world who are directly affected by erosion and
sedimentation. The first is finding appropriate projects to support in
motivated communities. Additionally, many of the proposals received include
budgets for local salaries, administration, and expenses that are far beyond
the scope and funding capability of the organization.
The second
challenge is finding dedicated volunteer leaders for each SOIL Fund project.
Though there is a requirement that an IECA member lead projects, nonmember
participation also is welcome. The fund looks for committed volunteers to
conduct preliminary assessments, train local workers, supervise community
projects, and carry out applied research. It also needs volunteers who provide
support with skills such as geographic information systems and fundraising.
The final
challenge is, of course, money. In the past, the SOIL Fund has relied on member
contributions and the proceeds from silent auctions held during IECA’s annual
conferences. However, raising more than $2,000 to $3,000 per year this
way is difficult and limits the fund to one small project at a time. To
increase financial resources, the SOIL Fund committee has started to approach
erosion and sediment control equipment manufacturers, product distributors, and
environmental consulting firms to consider the SOIL Fund as part of their
corporate giving programs – a charitable cause relating directly to their
industry. The committee also has asked IECA’s regional chapters for financial
assistance and to consider “adopting” SOIL Fund projects, a program in which a
chapter could raise money for a project and have volunteers from the chapter
provide the technical assistance.
Getting
Involved
The SOIL Fund
encourages IECA chapters and individual IECA members to identify worthy
projects and provide technical assistance to further international erosion and
sediment control. The first step is to submit a SOIL Fund
Pre-Application. Non-IECA members can apply for technical assistance from the
SOIL Fund on behalf of a community using the Request for Technical Assistance
form. Both of these forms and information on making a donation to the SOIL Fund
are available at: www.ieca.org/soil.
Disclosure: This article was excerpted from a feature
article published in World Water Storm Water Management Magazine,
published in April/May 2015. It can be viewed here.
Author’s
Note: Will
Mahoney is a registered professional geologist and a certified professional in
stormwater quality with 35 years of experience as an environmental scientist.
His Denver-based consulting firm, Environmental Services
International LLC, in Colorado , USA
