The Power of a Pilot: How Investing in Small Ideas can Make a Big Splash

As the development and humanitarian sectors face increasing pressure from retracting institutional funding and increasing humanitarian needs around the world, I’m reminded of the catalytic power of taking small chances on innovative ideas.??

There is one story that I am particularly proud of, which started out as a drop and has gone on to have an oceanic impact on communities in one of the most water-scarce countries in the world.?

In Jordan, where aquifers are being drained faster than they are being replenished, the country’s arid climate is being exacerbated by climate change. The population has nearly doubled in recent years, in large part due to the Syrian Refugee Crisis, so competition for resources has meant ‘hydropolitics’ has become a well-known feature of daily life, often resulting in increased tension and disruptions when water demand outpaces availability.?

Back in 2021, Xylem , a water technology company, funded a pilot project by Mercy Corps based in the small village of Zubaireya. The idea was to improve water infrastructure, as well as farmers’ water and agricultural practices. With various interventions, we hoped the community would be better equipped to manage their water scarce sources and sustain their livelihoods, thus improving their resilience in response to climate change.?

Alongside the community, we replaced 200 flow meters, rehabilitated one pump station, revitalised a water tank, established a new chlorination system, and installed a new PV system. We worked with around 100 smallholder farmers, food producers, and 140 young people in the village to enhance their livelihoods and access digital business opportunities. In all, the water pipeline system in Zubaireya Village was completely rejuvenated, which had an amplifying effect on the wider community. The pilot has since been developed into a fully-fledged project that is well-funded by the Australian and Swiss governments.?

The reason why this was so important? My colleague Kate Edelen , Mercy Corps Director of Water Security, said it best:

“Without the essential support from Xylem, Mercy Corps wouldn’t have the seed funding needed to test and scale new ideas, expand proven solutions, and unlock barriers to further philanthropic support toward bold climate action.”?

Complex problems need context-specific solutions, which often come from locally-led stakeholders. When addressing the climate crisis, which affects us all, sometimes even the simplest technologies can have a huge impact. For example, in some places, even drip irrigation is considered innovative.??

However, as leaders of INGOs will know, these small-scale interventions do not always attract the gaze of institutional financiers who often require a proof-of-concept or a fast return on their investments.?

Corporates, foundations and philanthropies are uniquely positioned to be able to fund new ideas more flexibly, allowing for greater innovation and pivoting according to the evolving context. This approach enables the ecosystem to build the evidence required for systems-level change.??

So my plea to the leaders of these organisations is this:??

1. Take Risks: Continue to take financial risks that can open the door for organisations like ours to explore new approaches, test them, and ultimately scale them to support more people.??
2. Share Your Evidence: Sharing your solutions and experiences of success (and failure) in networks such as Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association , Impact Europe and Business Fights Poverty builds an evidence repository that enables organisations, like Mercy Corps, to build upon best practices.??
3. Catalyse: Leverage your power, influence and networks to expand proven solutions into more communities by galvanising others to unlock barriers to bold climate solutions. ? ?

As World Water Week continues this week in Stockholm, you can meet my colleagues Nathalie Pe?a M , Meredith Hess , Areej Jadallah , Jessica Kirk-Bowman , and Ian Derbyshire to learn more about Mercy Corps ’ latest innovations in Water Security.??

Plus, we are delighted that Xylem is joining Mercy Corps’ Climate: Possible campaign as one of our anchor donors, helping us to support the most climate-vulnerable communities to cope, adapt, and build lasting climate resilience solutions.??