Vessela took part on the Water Panel, along with Dr. Nidal Salim from GIWEH and Adam Koniuszewski from Green Cross International. Vessela’s presentation introduced the children to the concept of rainwater harvesting including its history and how it can be a green solution to the current global water crisis. She then talked about the IRHA, the work we do to increase awareness of rainwater harvesting and our Blue Schools programme.

The session concluded with a panel discussion on the global water crisis. The children had clearly been listening to all three presentations and had some very interesting questions and statements to make. Some of the best included “Wouldn’t it be more efficient to have one organisation, rather than many?”, “Why can’t people move closer to where the water is?” and “Does acid rain affect rainwater harvesting?”.

Seeing the children listen and get involved with the presentations and discussion was great to see. They are the generation that will have to face the current and predicted threats to our planet – creating new green solutions and improving those already underway. We hope the children left the conference thinking more seriously about rainwater harvesting, and the benefits it can have within the global water crisis and beyond.

S-DEV Geneva 05 was a lively Exhibition and diverse programme of Conferences and Workshops, stimulating the flow of ideas, encouraging the development of shared visions and promoting the exchange of skills and knowledge.

The IRHA had an exhibition booth which presented a series of posters on urban rainwater harvesting activities. Wilas Lohitkul from Population and Community Development Association (PDA), an IRHA Organisation Member based in Thailand, gave a presentation on livelihood improvements based on rainwater harvesting practices. The IRHA also presented its own rainwater harvesting project, implemented in an orphanage in Bulgaria, on the Canton of Geneva Solidarity Fund stand.

Since its foundation, the rainwater harvesting movement in this region has come a long way. SearNet is now a strong, well structured network of national organisations, with trained and experienced specialists and outstanding results. This force is ready to transfer its potential into a critical mass of project implementation which will prove the efficiency and capacity of the numerous rainwater harvesting technologies. That is why the organizers called the meeting “Defining Implementation Pathways Beyond 2006″ and each national organization presented its plan for the next five years.

Vessela Monta from the IRHA Secretariat in Geneva had the pleasure and the honour to be a part of the Conference. She shared with her African colleagues IRHA’s short and medium-term work plans, explaining the importance of each of its four pillars: Project Implementation; Training and Awareness Raising; Unification of the Rainwater Harvesting Movement; and Policy Work.

In 2011, the IRHA and Photojournale held a competition for photographs showing the benefits and practical uses of rainwater harvesting. The third edition of IRHA’s Raindrops competition, “Raindrops Geneva Award 2011″ received almost 500 photographs and the winners were announced in December 2011.

The IRHA held its first exhibition of these photographs in Geneva to celebrate World Water Day 2012:

On Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st March, SWISSAID Geneva organised a roundtable called “L’eau cotée en bourse” (Water, publicly traded?) at the University of Geneva. The IRHA was invited to display 30 of the best Raindrops photographs as part of this event, helping to raise the awareness of the Geneva public to the practice and benefits of rainwater harvesting.

Each day, once the roundtable discussions were concluded, the participants and audience were invited to look round the Raindrops exhibition. Many people were drawn to the photographs and asked questions about the use of rainwater harvesting, which, due to the perceived abundance of water in Switzerland, is still an under-used practice.

After two busy evenings, the IRHA team left the University feeling they had improved many people’s perceptions of rainwater harvesting.

We are already planning more Raindrops exhibitions in the Geneva area for later in year, where we hope to build on the successes of this first one. Information about future exhibitions will be announced on our website and Facebook page – maybe we’ll see you there?!

There are more photographs from this event in the 1st Raindrops Geneva Award 2011 Exhibition photo gallery.

Sponsor

IRHA participation at the 6th World Water Forum

Every three years since 1997, the World Water Forum has gathered together stakeholders for world’s largest meeting around water. The goal of the 6th World Water Forum was to tackle the challenges facing the world and to bring water high on all political agendas. “There will be no sustainable development while the water issues remain unsolved. Everywhere on the planet, for all and everyone, the Right to Water (recognised by 189 states at the UN one year ago) must be guaranteed and implemented.”

On Wednesday 14 March, two members of the IRHA Secretariat, Vessela Monta the Executive Director and Hannah Price the Communications Officer, travelled to Marseille to attend the 6th World Water Forum.

The IRHA had been invited to the Forum by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), who ran the Swiss Pavilion located at the centre of Hall 3. For the whole week, from the 12 to 17 March, the winning four photographs from our Raindrops Award 2011 were on display at the Swiss Pavilion.

On the Friday, the last full day of the Forum, Vessela and Hannah conducted a presentation about the IRHA and rainwater harvesting.

The presentation began with “The Great Blue Schools Challenge” (see flyer). Vessela introduced the audience to the story of the Blue Schools; from how the concept began, through the early stages, and finishing with showing how the programme has recently expanded to cover almost 40 schools. She ended by stating that it is not important that all schools are “Blue Schools”, rather, it is important that we all work together to ensure that all schools have access to clean water and decent sanitation. It is the action, not the name, that matters.

The second part of the presentation was more light-hearted – it was time for “The Big Rainwater Quiz” (see flyer). Four audience members were asked to volunteer to take part in the quiz, which consisted of multiple choice questions about rainwater harvesting and the IRHA. Four people volunteered, and the quiz began…

The quiz included questions on the main concepts and uses of rainwater harvesting, as well as some figures from the IRHA Blue Schools programme. To ensure the quiz was informative as well as fun, Vessela explained the answer to each question. Although it was multiple choice, some of the questions were quite difficult, and the participants had to think hard!

At the end of the session, the winner was given a very Swiss prize – a Swiss army knife.

The quiz went very well; the participants learned some things about rainwater harvesting that they didn’t know before (and won’t forget now) and several of the audience members also played along.

Vessela and Hannah left the Forum with several new contacts and ideas for new technologies that could help improve aspects of the Blue Schools programme.

More photographs can be found in the 6th World Water Forum photo album.

At 12.00, Friday 16th March, in Exhibition Hall 3, we are holding an interactive presentation about rainwater harvesting and our Blue Schools Programme. If you are attending the Forum, then please come along and get involved – there are even some prizes on offer in our Big Rainwater Quiz!!

On Friday 24th February 2012, two members of the IRHA Secretariat, Vessela Monta the Executive Director and Hannah Price the Communications Officer, travelled to Westminster in London, England. The purpose of this visit was to attend the UEA Water Security and ICID Seminar “Water-food-energy nexus: Challenges and opportunities”.

Taking place in the impressive Institution of Civil Engineers, just down the road from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the seminar was an excellent opportunity to learn more about the Nexus, which has been gaining momentum since the Bonn2011 Conference last year.

In a nutshell, the Nexus, for the first time, brings together the issues of water, food and energy, demonstrating their interdependent nature. Changes in one area often have far reaching consequences in the other two. Take for example biofuels; their use is increasing for the production of low carbon energy, but it requires extremely large volumes of water and acres of land that could be used for food production.

Both Vessela and Hannah found the seminar extremely interesting and informative, and several useful connections were made. They were able to spread the word of rainwater harvesting and were pleased to see that this concept was very well accepted by many of the attending experts.

They left London feeling that there is a lot of room in the Nexus for rainwater harvesting, as its proper management can influence all aspects – water, food and energy. The IRHA will now work towards increasing the status of rainwater harvesting within the Nexus.

Later in the year, an edition of our newsletter will cover this water-food-energy nexus.

An Appropriate Water Reservoir for Small Scale Framers and Households

Introduction

In rural areas, a lot of useful time and energy is spent in fetching water at the expense of economic activities. The problem gets worse when the usual source of water may be far from homestead or polluted.

In addition to drudgery, families in semi-arid areas also experience food shortages. In this regard, there is need for low cost harvesting technologies that store water for domestic use, livestock and crop production.

One such technology is harvesting and storing water in plastic lined underground tanks. It is envisaged that with such a tank in place, the water needs of small-scale farmer will be solved to great extent due the reliability of storage. This will be reflected in the farm production and adequate household water supply.

About plastic Lined underground reservoir

Due to high seepage in tanks, ponds, dams and reservoirs, there is need to line them to reduce water loss. Materials used for lining include clay, rubber, plastic, bricks, stones, concrete etc. For areas where clay is not easily available, plastic lining has proved to be appropriate mainly because of low cost and reliability of the material.

The shape of the reservoir varies depending on the landscape and purpose. The different available gauge sizes of the plastic lining range from 0.4 mm to 1.2 mm.

Major considerations
- Source of water e.g. road/ field runoff or roof catchment water.

- Provision of silt traps, checkdams, lining of inlet waterways using grass or stones to protect silting.

- Inlet and outlet provisions.

- Water is obtained from tank using a pump or bucket or by gravity for sloppy land.

Procedure

Determine tank capacity depending on water requirement, source of water and available capital. Design of the tank shape and size based on the soil type, which dictates the side slopes. For stable and unstable soils the side slopes are recommended to be 1:1 and 1:2 respectively.

For easy roofing, the tank should be rectangular, long and narrow. Select tank site next to catchment (road, open field or roof). Mark the layout on the ground at the chosen site of the tank.

Excavate the tank site to required shape and depth. Provide for water inlet and outlet. Smoothen the walls and floors to ensure that the lining walls and floors to ensure that the lining will not be plaster with mortar or soil/cement mixture to make it smooth.

The lining of chosen gauge is then ordered from the manufacturer just enough to fit the shape of the pit to avoid waste. Remember to include lining material for anchoring when ordering.

Place the lining in the tank after ensuring that there are no stones or sharp objects. Anchor lining edges to ensure that the lining lies smoothly on the walls of pit and is firmly held. The lining can be anchored at the top using a masonry wall or the edge buried into the ground. Cover the top using any roofing materials to minimize loss of water by evaporation.

Advantages

• Affordable
• Reliable
• Low maintenance
• High storage efficiency
• Relatively Long Lasting
• Supply supplemental irrigation water, for livestock or for some domestic use.
• Can be installed by local artisans hence the
• technology can be replicated faster
• Easy to secure to the side wall
• Take the shape of the dug pit/reservoir

Disadvantages

• May be torn or pricked by sharp objects.
• Require replacement after some time due to exposure to ultra violet rays hence need for shading/covering to protect the lining.
• Need constant maintenance.

Maintenance
Regularly inspect inlets, channel and collecting area. Clean the silt traps and sieve. Periodically clean tank and remove any accumulated silt. After cleaning, check the pond for perforations and have them repaired.

Don’t
Throw stones/sharp objects into the reservoir;

Leave rough/sharp stones on the pond wall or floor;

Clean with rough tools/equipment.

Do

Fence the pond to make it secure;

Provide shaping where possible to reduce evaporation and protect lining by roofing the pond;

Smoothen the wall to remove sharp stones;

If anchoring using masonry wall, select bricks of high strengths, choose good structural mortar mixture and ensure good workmanship. Wet bricks before laying. Cure the masonry work properly. Make sure that the plastic lining fits the pond loosely;

Make sure the manhole is closed or fenced off as a safety measure;

Clean with great care to make sure that the plastic is not cut/ pricked.

Introduction

A lot of water is lost in arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) as surface runoff. Harvesting of this runoff and storage of the same into reservoirs such as water pans makes it available for use when required.

What is a water pan?

It is an excavated water storage structure that is square, rectangular or round, used to impound and retain surface runoff from uncultivated grounds, roads or laggas.

Why use water pan?

• Simple to construct

• Provides water for domestic/livestock use and supplementary irrigation

• Simple operation and maintenance needed in water pan construction

• Community mobilization through participatory rural appraisal (PRA), for a communal water pan to ensure ownership and guarantee future operation and maintenance. Availability of human labour, draught animals or earth moving machinery depending on size of pan.

Factors to consider when siting water pans

• A site with soils such as clay that retain water

• Avoid sandy soils

• A natural depression or small valley to minimize excavation

• A road or lagga nearby to act as a source of runoff

• A vegetated catchment to minimize saltation

• A standard water pan showing main features

Procedure in water pan construction

Step 1: Site the water pan and mark the embankment, inlet and spillway

Step 2: Excavate the reservoir section and use the soil to build the embankment wall, with side slopes of 1:2.5 for shallow pans to 1:3 for deep pans

Step 3: Construct spillway to discharge excess runoff water when the pan is full

Step 4: Construct silt trap(s) along the inlet channel to filter excess sediment load

Step 5: Close off the water pan with live fence to keep off the livestock

Step 6: Provide livestock watering trough off the fenced area.

What is the capacity of a water pan?

The capacity is variable and depends on site conditions and how much one wants to invest. Common ones are 400 to 1,000m3 A water pan capacity can be increased with time to hold more water.

How do you minimize water losses in a water pan?

Compaction of the embankment fill with drums filled with water or with a roller. Lining the bed and walls with clay soil or polythene sheet on soils that are not very good for a pan. Plant trees such as commiphora and euphorbia which can be propagated through cuttings around the water pan.

How do you stabilize the walls of a water pan?

By ensuring proper embankment side slopes and compaction, Planting shrubs and grasses on the embankment wall Placing stones on the embankment sides

Operation and maintenance of a water pan

Repair broken perimeter fence as need arises. Avoid direct entry of livestock into the pan to prevent trampling on bed and walls. Where livestock draw off point is not provided, use portable wooden troughs, a drums cut into half or old tyres to water livestock. Clean inlet channel by removing silt every season

Objectives

Project Status:

 

“In the pipeline 2/4″

 

This project is in the

process of fundraising

 

1. Improve access to drinking water and sanitation in four existing schools in Nepal;
2. To improve the environmental conditions in the schools’ area;
3. To reinforce social networks and build capacity of the local population to cope with water shortages and manage the new facilities in a responsible way:
4. To enhance opportunities for local mountain populations to improve their income.

Location

Four schools in the Kaski region of Nepal: Shivalaya Higher Secondary School, block Thumki-7; Jateshwor Higher Secondary School, block Thumki-2; Ramkot Higher Secondary School, block Hansapur-6; and Arunodaya Lower Secondary School, block Hansapur-3.

Shivalaya Higher Secondary School

Context

Shivalaya Higher Secondary School is a senior public school made up of two buildings and with a school population of 293 children. The school has no access to water on-site, so all water has to be carried from the source in the village using buckets and jerry cans. The school has a block of three toilets, but this is not enough for the number of students and teachers.

Jateshwor Higher Secondary School is a senior public school composed of a few buildings and is the largest school with 463 students. The school currently has no access to water. With only seven toilets – all of which are in need of repair – there are over 66 children and staff members to one toilet.

Ramkot Higher Secondary School

Ramkot Higher Secondary School is a senior public school with a few buildings and 291 students. It has a working rainwater harvesting system, but this does not provide enough water for the school population. There are enough toilets for the number of students and teachers, but they are in need of repair.

Arunodaya Lower Secondary School is a public school with a school population of 167 students. It currently has a rainwater harvesting system with a 20m3 water tank, but it does not provide enough water for the school population. There are also two toilets and two urinals, but this is not enough for the 167 students attending the school.

Activities

• Creation and training of the PACT Committee to maintain the facilities and to reinforce the community management capacities;
• Construction of a rainwater harvesting system in each school, with a total of 6 water tanks;
• Introduction of adequate sanitation facilities, including 6 new toilets blocks (a total of 16 toilets and 8 urinals) and handwashing facilities;
• Organisation of school nurseries and implementation of a reforestation action plan (“A child, a tree” initiative);
• Train the PACT Committees in hygiene and health; orchard and garden maintenance; environmental protection; peace and tolerance.

Project duration

The starting date is scheduled for 1 April 2012, and will begin with 2 months of feasibility studies. Implementation work will take 12 months and will be done in two steps, based on the location of the schools in two different blocks. The project will then be finished with 3 years of follow up.

Beneficiaries

• 1154 children
• 60 teachers and staff members
• The families of the children and the whole community

International partner

International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA), Switzerland

Local partner

Kanchan Nepal (KN), Nepal