Woman drawing water from a village well in Rajasthan

The first Unite4Water campaign

The Rajasthan Water Initiative

A crowdfunding initiative by three old Wageningen University friends to restore community water systems in arid regions, starting with the 900-year-old Par pond of Kanoi village in Rajasthan, India.

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EUR 20k by May 2026

800 households directly served

5,000+ livestock benefiting

Why Unite4Water

Private action for practical water security

Unite4Water was initiated by Bas Mohrmann, Pieter Peletier and Eddy Moors. Their shared education in irrigation, hydrology and water management, combined with long-standing networks in India, now comes together in cooperative water projects for the poorest arid regions.

As public support for development cooperation declines, focused private initiatives become more important. Unite4Water aims to improve drinking water, livestock water and irrigation while helping local communities become self-sufficient in the long term.

The first funding goal is deliberately concrete: restore one village pond before the 2026 monsoon and prove a repeatable model for future annual campaigns.

First project

Restoring the Par pond in Kanoi village

The first project is the comprehensive rejuvenation of the Par pond in Kanoi village, Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan. The pond is around 900 years old and historically served as a primary freshwater source for drinking, domestic use and livestock.

Today the pond contains no water because of severe siltation, structural degradation and disruption of its natural catchment system. The restoration combines traditional ecological knowledge with scientific watershed management practices.

Desilting and deepeningRestoring storage capacity for seasonal rainfall.
Stronger embankmentsRepairing the physical structure of the pond.
Inflow channelsRehabilitating natural catchment connections.
Local stewardshipStrengthening community-based maintenance.

Project plan for the Kanoi Par rain water harvesting structures — Project proposal plan for the Kanoi Par rain water harvesting structures.

Map of Kanoi village and the Par pond location — Kanoi village and the Par pond location.

People carrying water through an arid village landscape in Rajasthan

Why it matters

Less dependence on costly tanker water

The intervention directly benefits approximately 800 households and more than 5,000 livestock by reducing dependence on costly private tanker water. It also strengthens groundwater recharge and local climate resilience in one of India's most water-scarce regions.

Government services are unable to provide adequate water supply given their focus on centralized solutions that are notoriously poorly functioning in India, particularly in remote areas. This is one of the failures that followed when the influence, oversight and support of local rulers, in this case the maharaja of Jaisalmer, was removed post-independence. Distant communities are not politically well connected and their needs are not prioritized by present regional leaders.

Drinking waterA restored village water body for households.
Livestock securityReliable water access for animals and livelihoods.
Groundwater rechargeMore local storage and resilience after rainfall.
Community ownershipMeetings, awareness programs and local contributions.

India partners

Grounded in trusted local leadership

Rajendra Singh

The initial core partner in India is Rajendra Singh, globally renowned as the Waterman of India. He is known for river revival, community-based watershed work and turning traditional water-harvesting methods into a model discussed and adapted beyond India.

Originally trained as a medical doctor, he dedicated his life to community-based water resource management and received the Stockholm Water Award in 2015.

Tarun Bharat Sangh Foundation

The project will be executed by Tarun Bharat Sangh, a community-driven organization based in Rajasthan and dedicated to water conservation, ecological restoration and rural development.

Its approach combines indigenous knowledge with participatory planning, keeping local communities at the center of decision-making and implementation.

Visit Tarun Bharat Sangh

Financials

A one-time EUR 25 need per household

The total cost of the project is approximately EUR 27,000. Unite4Water aims to raise EUR 20,000 through this crowdfunding campaign, with the remaining value contributed locally through labour and use of tractors by Kanoi villagers.

Because Kanoi village consists of around 800 households, the external funding need equals a one-time EUR 25 contribution per household for proper drinking water for families and livestock for many years.

Download the Kanoi Par pond proposal

Earth work: bulldozer, tractors and hand labour EUR 22,000

Management and community development by TBS EUR 5,000

Total project cost EUR 27,000

Funds raised by this campaign EUR 20,000

Labour and tractors by Kanoi villagers EUR 7,000

Newsletters and updates

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The team

Three Wageningen friends behind Unite4Water

Bas Mohrmann

Water programs and India network

Bas worked for 26 years for IFC/World Bank Group, including about eight years in India leading the IFC/2030 Water Resources Group water program for South Asia. After retiring in 2016, he continued his India involvement through water-related technology and academic ventures.

Pieter Peletier

Entrepreneur and co-promoter

Pieter worked for Philips in commercial and managerial roles across the Far East, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. In 2003 he became an entrepreneur and built one of the leading videoconferencing providers in the Netherlands.

Eddy Moors

Hydrology and climate science

Eddy worked on many studies in India as a hydrology and climate change impact scientist, building a robust understanding of local conditions and a network across the Indian water community that can support future initiatives. He is former rector of IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands and emeritus Professor of Climate and Water at the VU University Amsterdam.

The power of friendship

Bas and Rajendra have known each other since Bas first arrived in India in 2011. Their collaboration through IFC/World Bank and Wageningen University evolved into friendship and trust. Pieter and Eddy joined as co-promoters, reflecting a shared enthusiasm for grassroots water projects and old friendships.

Unite4Water also wants to share the world of Rajasthan through the thematic lens of community water management, and to invite friends and family into a practical initiative that can grow year after year.

Thank you for your support

Help fund restoration before the 2026 monsoon

If the funding target is reached in May 2026, the restoration can be completed just before the 2026 monsoon begins in late June or early July.

Make a donation

Open the Tikkie link

Please use the Tikkie link to make a donation. You are free to choose your amount.

You may also make a bank transfer to:

Bank account: NL16ABNA0154234346
Name: PG Peletier

For donations from outside the Netherlands:

Bank account: AT79 2011 1839 5296 6600
BIC/SWIFT: GIBAATWWXXX
Name: Johannes Bastiaan Mohrmann
Reference: Unite4Water

Thank you for supporting the Kanoi village pond restoration as the first step toward a series of practical annual water campaigns.

Bas, Pieter and Eddy