Looking for partnerships

arche noVa – Initiative for people in need is an internationally operating, registered aid organization from Germany. Ever since its beginning in 1992, arche noVa supports people who live in unstable situations caused by crisis, conflicts or natural catastrophes. Be it in fast emergency aid missions, rehabilitation / reconstruction projects or long-term development cooperation operations – arche noVa works with local partners and involves the beneficiaries from the start, always following the organization‘s fundamental principle: helping people to help themselves. In Germany, arche noVa hosts the Saxonian Competence Centre for Global Learning and supports various global learning activities, like project days at schools, extracurricular activities as well as adult education or teacher training projects.

Since 2016 arche noVa has been working in Lebanon, improving living conditions for people that fled the war from Syria as well as for Lebanese host communities. In the North and Akkar regions our focus is on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), food security and livelihood. In Bekaa valley we support three schools, enabling children from Syrian background continuing their education.

For best results we work together closely with our local partners – Tankamel Sawa, MADA and the Social Support Society and Education (SSSE), as well as with water and agricultural authorities.

Our main field of interventions are :

WASH: Construction or repair of water systems in communities, capacity building of staff of relevant local water agencies and partner organizations on water related topics, establishment of community management committees
Food Security and Livelihood: Rehabilitation of irrigation sytems and other agricultural infrastructure, training smallholder farmers in sustainable agriculture methods, distribution of seeds and material
Education: Providing education for children affected by the Syrian crisis in the Bekaa region, providing school lessons daily, teacher training, construction of new school playgrounds, psycho-social support for children and parents

arche noVa is submitting an application as the lead agency for the PRIMA call, specifically focusing on Thematic Area 1: Water Management in Nexus, 1.1.1-2024 (IA), titled "Sustainability of Mediterranean Irrigated Agriculture through the Implementation of the WEFE Nexus Approach." The project's objective is to assist farmers in water retention for irrigation purposes and mitigate the risks of droughts and floods associated with climate change, as well as inadequate water governance and management. The proposed activities include aquifer recharge, land swales, earth smiles, ditches, mini dams, etc. These interventions aim to facilitate percolation into the soil, revive existing springs, and elevate water table levels, thereby reducing the impacts of droughts and floods. Extensive community engagement is planned, involving collaboration with both landowning farmers and potentially utilizing public lands. Innovative technologies such as dew harvesting systems may also be explored, particularly in highland areas where dew significantly impacts production. This system would convert dew into usable water, which could either percolate into the soil or be stored.

arche noVa will execute the project in partnership with Mada, a local Lebanese organization. Currently, we are seeking one partner from Turkey and one from Jordan to join the consortium. Suitable partners may include NGOs, universities, or research institutions.

Irrigation, water management, climate change

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