Pahrump, Nevada, USA

Pahrump is a rapidly growing desert community in southern Nevada whose existence depends almost entirely on groundwater from the Pahrump Valley aquifer. While the town has attracted residents seeking affordable housing and rural living near Las Vegas, its growth has raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of water resources in Basin 162. The challenge facing Pahrump is how to balance economic development, agriculture, and population growth with the finite groundwater supplies that support the valley’s future.

There are currently thousands of lots of land ranging in size from 1/8th acre to more than 1/2 acre that cannot be built on because of the lack of public infrastructure. These lots have been rezoned to disallow any form of development while being taxed with no benefits to property owners. However, advances in technologies for geothermal energy, solar energy and storage, water harvesting from the atmosphere, waste recycling, and solid waste management can provide for high quality sustainable living in desert environments while eliminating the need for groundwater. Closed loop waste water systems also eliminate the likelihood of groundwater pollution.

The study being undertaken is to firstly generate a series of fact sheets that differentiate the concept of sustainable living from common understandings of “off-grid” or “alternative” living. Sustainable living requires no compromises and instead offers an enhanced quality of life while ensuring that demands on nature are no greater than its ability to sustainably restore and renew for the benefit of future generations. Examples of the technologies and home designs that enable sustainable living will be provided.

The second part of the study will closely examine the social, economic, and environmental impact of the sustainable development of the properties for which zoning does not permit development at any level.

Attribution: Pahrump Valley Times (June 20, 2023).

If there is a more recent version somewhere this will be updated.

“Over pumping, especially to support historic agricultural developments, reduced native vegetation and dried up local springs, exacerbating the impacts of both drought and flood.” (Nye County Water District, October 17, 2023)

There are thousands of lots  in Pahrump that cannot be developed because of the lack of infrasture to deliver utilities and the zoning specifically does not allow sustainable living technologies.

About 4,000+ acre feet of water is used for agriculture. This is about the same consumption as residential use. There are about 11,000 residentail wells tapping the aquifer (Basin 162).

Sustainable use of nature’s assets is the responsibility of everyone otherwise there will be nothing left for future generations.

Cows love this stuff as they munch away while producing milk for us. But wait, they also produce methane gas contributing to the greenhouse effect and climate change.

Some of the land is not watered. Is this a good sign for hope that agricultural use of precious water from the aquifer will reduce to zero?

Vast swathes of land near the center of Pahrump that can never be developed because of zoning restrictions. So, how is the money from property taxes being used to benefit these property owners?

There is an oasis for the local duck population. Gotta love the ducks but how did they wangle this one?

OK guys, time for a refreshing dip !

Water rights for sale? Isn’t water essential for life and cannot be withheld or commoditized for the benefit of a few? 

Tetegu, Accra, Ghana

The Tetegu research area is in the Weija Gbawe Municipal District in the Greater Accra Region. Based on the 2021 census data, multidimensional poverty in the Weija Gbawe Municipal District is 8.2% compared with 11.7% for the Greater Accra Region, which includes the Gbawe Municipal District, and 24.3% for Ghana overall. With a lower number indicating less poverty, the Weija Gbawe Municipal District is placed eighth out of 261 districts in Ghana and 6th out of the 21 districts that comprise the Greater Accra Region. The multidimensional poverty incidence is determined by 13 indicators. However, this does not represent the Tetegu research area, which is vulnerable to environmental shocks, has limited economic opportunities, and suffers policy indifference.

The Tetegu research community included a nominal 150 households plus businesses and community services. It is persistently poor, with entrenched consumer and business practices from decades of subsistence. The Tetegu population was difficult to estimate because of the likelihood of overcrowding in poorly constructed and maintained buildings. It is a small enclave of the 213,674 Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly 2021 population. Based on aerial inspection, it was estimated that the portion of the Tetegu township of interest for the proposed research study was about 600-800 people. The subsequent community survey revealed that the population of the designated research area was more than 1,000 inhabitants living in cramped conditions.

The community has no school, public toilets, clinic, or hospital. A hospital was under construction for over 8 years, but the project has since been abandoned.

The main occupation is fishing from the Densu River. Tetegu faces serious life-threatening issues. The Tetegu research community lies close to a branch of the Densu River. It is an area subject to intentional “spillage-induced flooding” from Lake Weija by the Ghana Water Authority (GWA) to maintain safe water levels in the lake. The GWA releases large quantities of water into the Densu River during heavy rain periods with severe flooding consequences for surrounding communities. These releases result in significant disruption in livelihoods, substantial property loss for the flood victims, and loss of human life.

Approximately 90% of the population of Tetegu are Ewe people connected to the main concentration of Ewes in the Volta Region in southeast Ghana. Ewe, Ga, Twi, and English are the main languages in this community, with the majority speaking Ewe and Ga.

Tefle, Volta Region, Ghana

Tefle is a small township adjacent the Volta River in the South Tongu district of the Volta region in eastern Ghana. The economy derives mainly from fishing and crops including yam, plantain, maize, and cassava. According to the Ghana 2021 population and housing census 32.4% of the population of the South Tongu district, within which Tefle is located, live in multidimensional poverty, and is one of the poorest districts in Ghana. The township is lacking adequate public toilet facilities, schools, proper health facilities, and public infrastructure including roads, transport, reliable telecommunications coverage, reliable electricity supply, and access to clean safe water, despite its proximity to the Volta River.

This is an experimental 3D baseline image of the Tefle research area. It is part of the visualizations for the physical and environmental characteristics of the Tefle research area. This is a single fixed image of one of the many 3D perspectives of the Tefle research area. Future research will build on the potential of 3D imaging technology and the analytical possibilities using artificial intelligence (AI) and other techniques.

The delineated Tefle research area shows color-coded locations of the types of structures. The research area is restricted to a nominal 150 households, a representative sample of businesses, and other structures. Not every structure in the Tefle research area was geolocated. All structures were assigned an identifier for attachment to the structure to make it easier for researchers to locate the property during ongoing and future research.