In the drought-stricken hills of Bukhari Kalan, Pakistan, farming was once at the mercy of erratic rains. But one farmer, Chaudhry Muhammad Irfan, refused to wait for the skies to open — so he built his own dam.

Irfan says there is no involvement of the government or any local individuals in this project: "We built it entirely on our own, and we handle all the operational work ourselves. From its care and maintenance to providing water to everyone — everything is managed at our own expense. We supply water... throughout the year."

The Punjab province extracts massive amounts of groundwater — around 51 million acre-feet or nearly 63 billon tons annually. This is driving water levels dangerously low, making them drop by 2.6 feet (nearly 80 centimeters) in some areas. Irfan's self-funded dam helps counter this trend by not only storing runoff, but also recharging aquifers in the region. Other farmers say it has transformed land values, enabling year-round grazing for cattle and supporting small-scale fish farming.