The whole community is encouraged to take part in the planning and building of the well.
The well is then maintained, mended and generally taken care of by local people without the need for outside help.
The water pump, for example, sometimes breaks, but it can soon be fixed, as the community has been trained in doing repairs with inexpensive, easily available tools.
The schemes also aim to educate people about the need to avoid washing in contaminated water into which waste has been pumped.
Where these schemes have been implemented, the well-being of the whole community has improved dramatically.
However, new agricultural techniques are being developed which can increase food production while using little water.
By using better seeds and boosting soil fertility with the use of fertility, farmers can produce higher yields, obtaining the greatest gains from precious water supply.
People's attitudes to water vary tremendously, according to the situation in which they live.
In some regions, people have to manage with just one bucketful of water for a whole day.
This means water for drinking, washing and cooking.
On the other hand, in areas where people have a continuous supply of running water, they often use water wastefully and the concept of conserving water is a new one. For example, leaving the tap running while you brush your teeth use 10 litre of water - the equivalent of a whole day's supply for some people.
Apart from developing better water management policies, many governments are now committed to awareness-raising campaigns, educating both adults and school children about responsible water use.
The key to a future in which there is enough water for us all is a simple one : our water needs to be managed wisely, we all need to be careful with it, and we need to start today.