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Location:
    Marquirivi, Bolivia

Project Manager:
  Elizabeth Greene - greenee@email.arizona.edu

Professional Mentors:
  Dr. Wendell Ela

The Need
Situated high in the Bolivian Andes, the approximately 650-person community of Marquirivi relies almost exclusively on agriculture for subsistence and export. Residents grow potatoes, haba beans, and other crops for their own consumption, as well as a fruit called tuna raised primarily to trade for cash income. The existing irrigation infrastructure cannot effectively sustain the growing community’s need for food. EWB-UA’s assistance is required to redistribute other nearby water sources and improve the crop yield and livelihood of Marquirivi.

The Response—Assessment Phase
To assist the community with expanding its agricultural capability, EWB-UA will travel to Marquirivi, Bolivia, to obtain information that will support the project design.

EWB-UA and EIA anticipate meeting Marquirivi’s water supply and irrigation needs by utilizing water from natural mountain springs in the greater Marquirivi area. During the assessment trip, the EWB-UA team will do the following:

• Meet with Marquirivi’s Water Committee and residents to discuss current water usage and community needs.
• Evaluate existing irrigation infrastructure and options for redistributing mountain springs.
• Identify local vendors to supply construction materials and services.
• Collect information concerning the site layout.

The Future
EWB-UA eagerly looks forward to assessing, designing, and implementing the Marquirivi project over the coming years. Until the assessment trip in summer 2012, the University of Arizona chapter will focus on fundraising and communication with Marquirivi residents and the project’s partner organization, Engineers in Action. The chapter, post-assessment, will work with the community and EIA to develop the irrigation project and train a local technician on proper operations of the project and basic repair and maintenance. Upon completion of the mission, EIA’s Bolivian engineers will continue to periodically visit Marquirivi and assist with more complicated repair and maintenance issues. Marquirivi has a number of other unaddressed engineering needs and EWB-UA is excited about the prospect of establishing long-term efforts in Marquirivi.