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4. UP-HILL HYDRO:
Bringing Drinking Water Up The Mountain In Nepal

More than 1 billion of the world's population still does not have access to fresh water. But with the melting snows of the Himalayas, there should be more than enough to supply the people of Nepal year-round.

That's true for communities in the valleys, but not in the mountains, where women rise at 3 a.m. and spend hours every day collecting water for their families. In the village of Galang, a device called a ram pump has transformed lives.

It may have been used in Europe for centuries, but this type of pump is new to Nepal. It is a simple and inexpensive system that harnesses the energy of water flowing downhill. The water is collected in tanks, then pumped under high pressure into a pipe that carries it 200 yards back uphill to Galang, on the opposite side of the mountain.

In Galang, Ekna Rayan is the pump manager and each family pays him 10 rupees (50 cents) to keep the system in working order. Not surprisingly, everyone thinks this is a bargain."