Meetings and Vetiver...

Meeting at military site

These past few weeks have been focused on meetings with the Military, District leaders, Commune leaders, and village leaders. Last week was the first meeting where all were able to meet at one place. Our main topic of discussion was the canal construction which was due to begin yesterday, however, due to malfunctioning equipment is delayed till tomorrow. Also discussed was the erosion control measures for the embankment as well as the proposed laterite roadway.

Dr. Paul Truong of the Vetiver Network
(photo credit: www.hydromulch.co.za/vetiver-grass.htm)

Tobias recently took a trip to Bangkok to inquire about Vetiver grass, which we hope to use along the embankment. A tropical grass that grows locally has many uses from slope stabilization to prevention and treatment of contaminated water and land. This grass with its amazing root structure could be the answer to our erosion issues. We were given some samples to test out for ourselves.

Award-Winning Poster in Denver!

More accolades for this landmark project are in order for being presented on February 27, 2009 in Denver at Kleinfelder's 23rd Professional Development and Technical Training Seminar during the poster session. With the help of the intricately-crafted watergate model created by Hank Dombrowski and miniatures sculpted by Noa Bornstein, over 1,500 seminar attendees were exposed to our little project half-way round the globe.

And best of all, the poster won the award for "Best Poster Presentation" out of a total of 41 other presentations.

Other EWB NY Project Blogs!

OK, so we know you've enjoyed following the Cambodia Dam Project's progress on this blog... And we also know you've been craving more EWB-NY project action! That's why we've added links to four other EWB-NY active projects: the Usalama Project, a school expansion and so much more, in Usalama Kenya; the Matunda Health Center Water Project, located in Lugari Kenya; the Belen Clinic Project in northeastern Peru; and the Miraflores Public Health Project located in El Salvador. The links can be found in the "Project Related Links" section of this blog.

Thanks as always for keeping up with our progress, and we hope you'll check out the efforts of our other project teams!!

Acronym Overload

PIMD, ADB, IRRI, CARDI, MOWRAM, PDOWRAM, PRA, RGC, USAID, BBD, CCC...FWUG, PLUP, CLUP...What the FWUC?!

Welcome to the land of NGOs. There are over 450 in Cambodia and nearly 90 in Siem Reap alone. Siem reap is a brand unto itself, a town that is beginning to outgrow its spot on the map to become the very epitome of voluntourism. Many people come to see the famous Angkor temples but stay to become semi permanent fixtures among the expat community. Acronyms become part of everyday conversations and you wont be surprised to learn that you pick up these acronyms quickly.

Organizational Structure of the MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, and Fisheries)

Working with government entities can be somewhat daunting when one is not familiar with the formal procedure. After meeting with Tony Bott of the NorthWest Irrigation Sector Project (NWISP) and Eric Von der Brink of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), we discover that farmer water user communities or FWUCs are integral to a successful system. Developing and implementing proper FWUCs require starting from the bottom up, meaning that water user groups or FWUGs must first be developed. FWUGs are farmers that share a similar tertiary canal system, soil, and cropping system. But before any of this can happen we need a proper land use map. This is where we could use the help of Aruna Technology based in Phnom Penh. Somewhat a monopoly in Cambodia, Aruna Technology is a consultancy that specializes in web based GIS and GPS mapping. This map depicts the layout of the reservoir and the primary and secondary canal system that the FWUGs can work off of to design their water blocks following participatory land use planning methods or PLUP... Hope you got all that.

Truck time-out

Today, we were planning to go to the site to install more monitoring wells.  We had sent HT's truck in for repairs last night, planning to pick it up this morning; however, Chai called from the repair shop to let us know that the truck would not be finished until tomorrow morning.

Despite our missed site visit, we spent plenty of time doing research on farmer water user communities, and learned some new information on how we can set up our water user groups.

Monitoring Well Installation & Surveying

After the completion of the rip rap installation, the monitoring wells need to be installed to monitor the phreatic line at different distances along the embankment. Each well requires a 2"diameter PVC pipe, tape, cement and filter fabric.

On January 27th we went to the site to install one monitoring well and do some survey work to determine the cross section of the north embankment.

Using an auger Matt & Chai worked together to dig a hole approximately 25 meters south of the embankment and 4 meters deep. It takes a lot of effort to dig the hole so alternating diggers was key. As they worked, it became apparent that there was something stuck in the pipe; it turned out to be a frog! But they saved it.


The PVC pipe was wrapped with filter fabric and inserted in the hole then the space around the pipe was filled with sand. The top of the pipe is protruding from the ground. Concrete was poured around the well to keep it in place. A successful installation.

In the meantime Linda, Maria & Ceda surveyed from the watergate to the north embankment about 10 points using the measuring rod and level.

While we were there we studied the cracks just north of the dam. The largest seems to be 30 feet long from the edge of the dam and, using a make-shift plumb, it measured as much as 1'8" deep as seen below.


After about 4 hours the well was complete, and we reached the north embankment with our surveying. It was time to head back in time for Chai's class, just before sunset.

Boat Trip on the Mekong

Boats on the bank of the Tonle Sap River

Between our meetings in Phnom Penh, we found some time one evening to take a relaxing boat trip across the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. There were some great views back on the city and delicious plates of Khmer cuisine!

Road Trip to Phnom Penh

L to R: Maria, Tobias, Matt, and Tony Bott

Over the weekend, EWB and HT traveled down to Phnom Penh for meetings with consultants and government officials who may be able to help with the next steps of our project. Tops on the list were conversations about the formation and legal registration of the Farmer Water User Community (FWUC), baseline assessment, and community mapping.

Our first meeting was with Mr. Mlob Bon, from Cambodia's national Department of Irrigated Agriculture. He led us through the FWUC registration process and offered his help in navigating the provincial bureaucracy when we officially register our water project.

Next, we met with Tony Bott, an Australian consultant who has a good deal of experience with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and was able to clarify many of our next steps toward FWUC registration, canal mapping and construction, and project assessment.

Maria and Erik

After this, we met with Erik Van Den Brink, who works for Catholic Relief Services in Cambodia and has several successful development projects in Cambodia under his belt. Erik articulated many of the proper techniques for FWUC registration, and also described some of the pitfalls to avoid with mapping and assessment. He pointed us toward some helpful resources for both the water user group establishment and the baseline / impact assessment.

Last, we met with Paul Gager from Aruna Technologies, a small GIS consultancy that has worked on many different projects: both government and non-government, agricultural and economic, and many others. Paul was helpful in describing our options for mapping and GIS, andgave us options for building maps for FWUC registration and assessments.

All in all, a very successful trip!

Watergate Model

For those of you that were able to attend the Milestone Gala held in September of last year, you will recognize the subject of this photo! Our friends at HLD Workshop, an environmentally friendly furniture manufacturer based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, constructed this amazing model and donated it for display at the Gala. The model was a hit, and was the topic of many conversations that night!

We'd like to thank HLD once again for their detailed (and speedy, might I add) work putting this model together. Check out their blog for more info!

Before & After

before construction

after construction

after water

New Year, New Lead

l-r: jess miller, wiL

As the design and construction phase of the south canals reaches its near, and the next phase of impact assessment begins, we reach a good transition point in this project for some fresh perspective and approaches. It is thus with a privilege for me to announce our new project lead, Jess Miller, who have graciously accepted this challenge.
Please join me in welcoming and congratulating Jess to her new position by raising your next glass of Angkor!

One Star Turn Revisited

Last spring we ran into an problem regarding land ownership when we were planning out the downstream route. This problem caused the One Star Turn as shown in the photo above. However, by the time we resolved the land ownership issue we did not have the resources to fully excavate the path. complete the side walls and armor the soil at the turn so we knew we would have to finish this work during the final phase of construction.

Here is the path during our last trip.

And here is the path this week. Chai and the crew on site widened the path, enlarged the side walls and armored the turn. We still have a few more items to finish out there but Chai did a great job getting this one done quickly.

Impact Assessment

l-r: matt barber, tim weiss, steve forbes, jess miller

Since the major milestone of the watergate completion, the project is progressing towards yet another interesting phase called the impact assessment. Over the past few months, we had several brainstorming sessions on how to gauge the impacts in which the completed watergate and restored reservoir will have on the village and villagers for the next few years.

We met up with Steve Forbes a few weeks ago to share some of our initial thoughts on planning and implementation of the impact assessment. Steve have worked with many other projects that have implemented their own assessment. Additionally, his own dissertation involves some of these projects as case studies. It was interesting to hear some of these other approaches and learn how impact assessments are often project specific, and requires some adjusting to better suit the conditions of another project.

A House for Mr. Trau Kod

We first met Mr. Trau Kod last year during the embankment repair. Now that the watergate has been completed, Boc Kron built Mr. Trau Kod a more permanent house so he can provide protection over the resevior.

Angkorian reservoir revived

About a month and a half ago, Erica Goldberg from the Phnomn Penh Post wanted to write about the Opening Ceremony that was to take place that next day. When she met up with us, she learned a great deal more about the project itself, inspiring her to write not just about the ceremony, but to also follow up with another story about the project itself. She's kept her word, and had an article posted in today's paper. Take a read of today's article.....

Another Reservoir Photo

Here is one of Jenn's photos of the reservoir on our first day back to the site.

Opening Ceremony Part 2

The opening ceremony was amazing. Over 600 people attending, flags running along the completed embankment, ribbons covering the watergate. It was incredible.
The ceremony started about 45 minutes late because the Deputy Provincial Governor, shown above, arrived late. Speeches were made by Someth, Narith, Tobias, wiL and myself. The westerner speeches were translated into Khmer by Chai. When the Deputy Provincial Governor started his speech he made a last second request for Chai to translate his Khmer speech into English so that the westerners in attendance could understand. Chai looked a little flustered but really didn't have a choice and proceeded with the impromptu translation.

The Governor's speech was interesting. He had a prepared written speech in front of him but began his speech by announcing that he would not be reading the prepared speech but would just talk about the project. He proceeded to ramble on for 30 minutes about the project, about the wealth of Americans, about how the villagers need to request additional projects from us and then he committed to build a road from the Balang Commune to the Commune north of the site. At one point he asked the villagers to raise their hand if they were interested in Human Translation building a secondary school in Balang then turned to Tobias and asked him to build a secondary school.

After the speeches, we all walked along the embankment for the watergate ribbon cutting. Seeing all of the people at the watergate was definitely my favorite part of the ceremony. The site has been an isolated place for the majority of the project and to see all of these friends, colleagues and villagers at the watergate was incredible.


It was extremely hot that day so as soon as the ceremony was complete the site cleared out pretty quick. The HT and EWB crews hung out for a bit while Jenn and Chai did a quick site review. It wasn't until this point that I noticed the sign that was hung up at the back of the stage (shown above).

Still can't believe the reservoir is retaining water again.

KAP RIP

It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the passing of a dear member of the EWB team, the Kite Ariel Photography (KAP) kite. On a trip to the flooded forest, the kite took a nose dive into the Tonle Sap, the string snapped and none of us cared enough to jump in after it. wiL was actually complaining the day before that he wanted to get a bigger kite. But we certainly have some fond memories of running around the site trying to get that thing into the air.

Monitoring Wells

Now that the reservoir can retain water again, we need to monitor the flow of water through the embankment.


So during this last trip we began the installation of a monitoring well than can be used to measure the depth of water at a particular location. The diagram above is what a monitoring well should look like. Water is supposed to seep into the pipe without the fine soil clogging the perforations in the pipe. Then you can take off the cap and measure the water depth.


So we embarked on another fun Cambodian adventure of improvised technology. This is a photo of wiL cutting the perforation slits into the PVC pipe in front of the Human Translation office.


We used our old hand auger to dig the hole, Jenn picked out this beautiful purple synthetic fabric at the old market that we used for a filter fabric. Then we used sand left over from the concrete construction to pack around the PVC pipe.


Finally, we mixed the concrete on site and poured the pad around the top of the well. Chai helped us install this one monitoring well so he will be able to install the 8 additional wells required in the near future.

Please Protect This Water Gate

Chai painted this sign onto the watergate. It translates as "Please protect this watergate".

When it rains....it monsoons

This year's rainy season seems to stretch a little longer than usual, according to some of the locals. It's been raining, on average, about an inch or so per day.
Most of the time, we are chased away from the site by a rainstorm, after having done most of our day's work, and scurrying to pack up and leave before getting drenched. There are times, however, we were simply forced to work through it...
...taking breaks in our makeshift haven.

KAP

taken from downstream, looking northeast into the reservoir (background)

The KAP unit takes launch again, trying to capture images of the reservoir and completed watergate from the sky.

Monks In a Trunk

A comment made by Jenn Lohr, when we were planning on picking up several monks from HRND and Wat Trach, on our way to the opening ceremony. During the ride, i had a long discussion with Sareeta (front right), who expressed his gratitude in the dam. He explained how many villagers will benefit greatly from the dam, including his very own family from the PropKot village.
Hearing such stories directly from the ones who grew up from the village definitely puts many things in better perspectives.

Improvements

A large portion of the road to Trau Kod (the site) have changed since we've last been here about 9 months ago. Apparently, a Thailand company has proposed, and are currently building, a road from Siem Riep directly into Bangkok. This road used to be riddled with deep pot holes, and barely wide enough for one oxcart, thus, causing our trip to be an hour and a half long. Now, our commute is within the hour.

Additionally, the road is now often entertained with the sight of school kids making their way to the Wat Trach school. This school was part of the literacy program directed by Human Translation, and recently implemented a few months ago. It has been very succesful in bringing many local villagers of various ages to come to the school.
Changes such as these clearly indicates the growth of the community.

Read All About It

l-r: tobias, bouny, jenn lohr
click to read article

The day after the ceremony, the Phnomn Penh Post had an article about the dam project. The journalist, Erica Goldberg, had met up with us a few days earlier to learn of the project.

Opening Ceremony

Bryse takes a piece of the ribbon

The opening ceremony was an amazing experience. Over 600 attended, including many villagers, community leaders, and the provincial government. They came to share their gratitude to all who have helped made their vision a reality. Through their speeches, they extended their thanks to all who were not present, acknowledging the many more people that were involved on this large project. This note of thanks was definitely also intended to all the EWB-NYC members.

The event concluded with a ribbon cutting at the watergate. As everyone walked towards the gate, school kids lined along the embankment applauding. The experience was joyful, and absolutely surreal.

Let There Be Water

the reservoir and the watergate
more photos by jenn lohr

We visited the site yesterday, and were excited to see the reservoir partially filled with water. It was definitely an amazing sight.

Rivalry at Thai Border

Modern conflict near ancient ruins
photo and article from the BBC

In recent news, military breakout at the Thai/Cambodia border claimed two soldiers. Events as such have posed small delays on the Dam project in the past, often postponing meetings, review of our work, and/or obtaining approvals to proceed on some tasks.

Milestone Gala Photo Catalog

Photos exhibited at the Milestone Gala can also be purchased. Put one on your wall today!

catalog and order form

Milestone Gala

l to r: jessica miller, wiL, maria jarina, tim weiss, linda hamden, matt barber
not photo'd: kathrine mccullough, monica louie

The Milestone Gala was a blast last night! The first event of its kind for the EWB-NY chapter, this event had set a tone of great appreciation to our sponsors. Displays of photos, small scale dam model, slideshow of construction photos, and other EWB-NY projects kept our sponsors entertained and helped them realize what their support had helped us achieved - both in the project, and in the chapter. With good food and wine, music by Dengue Fever, and a lottery of everything from free bread for a year, to free Yankee tickets, we all wished the event didn't have to end.
One of the display was the KAP jig suspended above the KAP photos. The remote controller was passed around for everyone to experiment with. Take a look at the photos of their experience.

Milestone Gala

join us at the Milestone Gala
Thursday, Sept. 18th 7:30pm-11pm
Peter Cooper Suite, 8th Floor
Cooper Union
Foundation Building
7 East 7th Street, NY, NY
milestone.gala@ewbny.orga

The recent completion of the watergate structure marks a major milestone not only in the Cambodia Water Dam Project, but in the Engineers Without Borders-New York City Chapter as well.
Join us at the Milestone Gala as we say "THANK YOU" to all the supporters who have made this work a reality!