A Manxman was short listed for a United Nations award for his work to create sustainable life in the world’s poorest communities.

Simon Maddrell, from Douglas, was one of eight finalists named for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification #Land4life award because of his sand dam project which brings life to desert land.

Founder of Excellent Development, his charitable company that was set up in the Isle of Man, helps drylands primarily in Africa, but also in India.

On Monday (June 17) - which corresponded with World Day to Combat Desertification - Mathieu Ouedraogo, President of Réseau MARP from Burkina Faso, was announced as the winner.

Mr Maddrell said: ’It was a great honour to be a finalist. I had actually nominated a guy who originally inspired me, Joshua Mukusya, but he died in 2010.’

He explained that the United Nations Convention decided to decline his nomination, but chose to select him instead.

’I took a group of scouts out to Kenya in 1985 and met Joshua and he had just started on sand dams a couple of years earlier. That was my first experience of a sand dam project,’ he said.

’The way I was brought up was to be altruistic. My dad was a teacher who taught in Ghana before I was born. There was always a presence of Africa in the home.

’My interest was particularly prompted by the Sudan drought in 1984. Meeting Joshua, I could see what an incredible difference that sand dams could make and the way that he approached it was community-driven.’

Desertification is a problem in which fertile land becomes a desert due to drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

According to Mr Maddrell, 12million hectares of land are lost every year to desertification - an area over 200 times the size of the Isle of Man.

’Annual land lost could produce 20 million tons of grain and US$42 billion (more than £33billion) in income is lost every year from desertification and land degradation,’ he said.

A sand dam is a reinforced stone wall built across a sandy river which blocks water inland to be used by the surrounding community. During a heavy rainfall, water and sand is pushed down a valley before it is blocked by the wall. The water sinks and pipes are then used to extract it. The layer of sand protects water from evaporation and disease.

’The water is not just for crops, but for livestock and people,’ he continued.

’One of the biggest benefits is that it saves three to five hours a day in water collection which helps children get to school and parent to invest in farming and protecting their land.

’We all have our problems in the British Isles, but desertification and climate change is a global issue which is going to come back and bite us all. We should be contributing to the reversal of desertification.’