Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

The Trench Cum Bund System Two extreme weather systems can destroy an area, town or village. Due to these conditions, they become barren to growth. People living in these areas need to seek alternatives for their basic living needs. We introduce you to a simplistic approach to water retention, conservation and distribution back into the land... the Trench Cum Bund System Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Climate and Conditions Dry conditions consist of hot, dry weather, low water levels and adaptive living conditions. Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Climate and Conditions Hot dry weather lowers the soils density, reduces water reserves and slows the growth of trees and crops. Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Low water levels create soil instability and slower plant growth. Low water level Climate and Conditions Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Adaptive living conditions consists of less drinking water, poor water quality and less or little food reserves. Climate and Conditions Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Rainfall and water retention issues bring flooding and wet conditions to the village. This condition results in landslides and soil instability due to the lack of reforestation. Climate and Conditions Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Erosion Control During the wet season erosion is uncontrollable, loose mud flows into the village below. Climate and Conditions Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Erosion Control After installation of the trench and bund system, there is far less damage to the village due to erosion. Excess water has been stopped and redirected into the earth, bunds and community water source. Climate and Conditions Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Using the following measurements, you will build a trench capable of holding 1,000 L. of water. To begin the construction of the trench and bund, choose an area with an existing vegetative feature, for example, a tree. Trench and Bund Construction 5 Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Trench and BundConstruction 5a The trench should be at least 33cm. deep. Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Trench and Bund Construction 5b Make the trench 3 meters long. The earth that is removed from the trench hole should be piled on the down slope side of the trench to form the bund. Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Trench and Bund Construction 5c Leave a small space between the trench and the bund, approximately 22 to 30cm. wide to ensure that the bund does not erode back into the trench. Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Trench and Bund Construction 5d Use the earth to form the bund, it should be the length of the trench and approximately 15 to 33cm. high. The width of the bund depends on the height. The higher you pile the earth, the narrower the width of the bund. The lower you pile the earth, the wider the bund will be.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Trench and Bund Construction 5e The width of the trench should be at approximately 1 meter. The trench should have nice sharp sides on the walls so that the rain shoots in but does not erode the walls.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Trench and Bund Construction 5f To prevent erosion, the bund must be compacted and sown with seeds of grasses or creeper vegetation. You may also choose to let the soil seed bank take over to stabilize the bund.

Construction and the Landscape 6 Make the water Walk, not Run down the hillside. A simple, effective and sustainable water management technique. Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Construction and the Landscape 6a Placement of the system is dependent on the contour of the area landscape. Choose an area with an existing vegetative feature, for example a tree. Locating the system beside the plant formation will aid in the restoration of the plant’s health and give you the ability to visually gage the progress of the system. The overall dimension of the system depends on the location and contour of the area landscape.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Construction and the Landscape 6b When possible, you may place the system sections in rows. Shown here, the land is uneven, so you will have to place the sections where ever you have the space. The sections should not be longer than 3 meters, they may be placed randomly or beside each other.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Construction and the Landscape 6c Using an “A” frame and a plumb bob you can mark out areas that are level to build the trench and bund system. To build the “A” frame you will need two poles of equal lengths tied together at one end, a length of string that will reach from the top of the “A” frame to approximately 1 to 2 cm. from the ground. You will also need a third pole to act as a cross bar between the two main poles. For the plumb bob, you will need something with some weight like a small rock or some spare metal washer rings. Plumb Bob Cross Bar

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Construction and the Landscape 6d Use the “A” frame to mark out areas that are level across the landscape. You may use these areas to build the system sections.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Construction and the Landscape 6e Keeping the sections separate helps to protect the integrity of the system. If a leak should occur, you will not lose the entire row of trenches and bunds. There should be a gap between sections, 1 meter is wide enough.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Construction and the Landscape 6f The installation of a collection ditch at the bottom of the trench and bund system is useful in collecting any extra rainfall that is not stopped by the trenches. It can be directed to a community cistern and used for general purposes like washing and cleaning.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Construction and the Landscape 6g With the system in place, the rainwater is slowed in its rush down the landscape and caught in the trenches.This allows the water to slowly seep into the earth. Over time, this aids in plant growth and creates a sustainable water table.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Post Construction Uses and Benefits 2-5 Planting and Crops Water levels begin to rise. This supports the planting of seeds and growing of crops.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Post Construction Uses and Benefits Planting and Crops As time passes, the water level begins to stabilize. Crops and other vegetation begin to flourish.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Post Construction Uses and Benefits Sustainable Water Levels Along with the control of erosion and crops, another benefit is the access to water. As the water level in the area rises the ability to obtain clean drinking water becomes easier.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Post Construction Uses and Benefits Sustainable Water Levels Access to water for general use is also improved by controlling and directing the water runoff.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Post Construction Uses and Benefits As water is captured in the trench system, it is aloud to slowly seep into the earth. Sustainable Water Levels

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license System Maintenance On-going maintenance to keep the system free of leaves, weeds and other debris is very important. The system may also require some minor structural maintenance. Throughout the seasons the trench and bund will accumulate debris. A well maintained system will work more efficiently.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license The Trench Cum Bund System is an excellent remedy to the lack of water resources and destructive weather conditions. It is a solution to water management issues and supports the population’s ability to cultivate the land, turning poor living conditions into a successful environment for self-sustaining management.

Copyright 2011 USC Canada and The Pangea Partnership. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Creative Commons Share Alike license Credits MJT Flash Concepts - Production Team Tae Youn Kim – Flash Designer/Animator Jas Jassal – Flash Developer/Animator Mark Plant – Project Lead Thanks to: Megan Haikalis – Narrator Algonquin College School of Media and Design Radio Broadcasting