Just A Drop's Sustainability Projects

Just A Drop's Sustainability Projects

Our charity partners, Just A Drop have written a report on what they do to mitigate climate change and ensure the sustainability of their projects. We hope you find it of interest!

Carbon Monitoring

We monitor, publish, and analyse our carbon footprint as an organisation. With this information, we are then able to identify areas of our operation where we can reduce our carbon footprint. This data is independently verified by our carbon footprint consultants, ecollective. All of this helps us to keep up with our target of reaching net zero emissions by 2040. Check out our data here.

ISSBs

ISSBs are Interlocking Stabilised Soil Blocks, essentially a strong, sustainable building brick which can be used instead of traditional fired clay bricks. Bricks are made in an ISSB press and are then left to ‘cure’ in the sun before being used in construction. ISSBs have a significantly lower carbon footprint than traditional bricks, as they do not need to be ‘fired’ and reduce transport costs by using locally sourced materials. This is just one of the alternative construction materials we are exploring to reduce our carbon footprint.

Tree Planting

A key part of our overall strategy is the planting of trees in our project locations. Trees serve practical purposes which actively benefit communities, such as providing shade for people and crops, increasing soil quality, and providing fruit for harvest and sale. Trees also ‘sequester’ carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so for each tree we are able to calculate the carbon absorbed by each tree, which helps us to further benefit the climate.

Watersheds

Tree planting also significantly improves an environment's water cycle, by preserving and protecting watersheds. A watershed is the area of land surrounding a river, from which rainwater and surface water run-off into the river. As the trees we plant absorb water through their roots, less rainwater is drained immediately into the river and more is stored in the soil surrounding the trees. This has multiple benefits including reducing soil erosion, improving soil quality, and reducing the risk of flooding. With this more fertile environment, communities are then able to grow more crops, often resulting in surpluses which can then be sold, leading to improved livelihoods.

Energy Saving Stoves

Energy saving stoves are a new innovation in our project work. These require less wood than traditional stoves, meaning that less trees are cut down to power them. Alongside the stoves, we also train communities in sustainable wood harvesting and sustainable charcoal production. All of this leads to a lower impact on the climate and cleaner environments for the communities.

The Impact

Thanks to our supporters, we are able to carry out our work on sustainability to ensure that, while providing life-changing projects, our impact on the climate is as low as possible. We were recently shortlisted for the Charity Times’ ‘Charity Sustainability Award’, which shows that we are achieving the right results. Can you help us to continue carrying out this vital work to protect the climate and provide communities with access to safe water? Donate today to be part of a better tomorrow.

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