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Newsletter n° 07 - May 2005
"Put Rainwater Harvesting in Integrated Water Resources Management"
Dear 1451 Rainwater Harvesters,
This edition includes information on:
The Speaker of the Indian Parliament sets a RWH example
Setting an example to highlight the importance of RWH, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee recently decided to offer Parliament House premises & his official residence this type of water conservation & declared that he would be writing to the Urban Development Ministry so as to involve other Government buildings.
Making a statement in the House, Chatterjee also announced his decision to constitute a Parliamentary Forum on Water which will provide a platform to effectively discuss water problems in a structured manner & could discharge obligations to the nation with a result oriented approach, he said.
"Let us hope the system of rain harvesting will be in place before the onset of monsoon," he said amid thumping of desks by members who lauded his initiative. The Speaker hoped that MPs on all sides would give their "active support & will carry the message to their constituencies so that the conservation of water does not remain a slogan".
A recent tragic news report about a 12-year old boy's death in a stampede where people fought for a few litres of water from a tanker in Delhi highlighted the gravity of the situation, he said. "Fall in the level of ground water table at an alarming rate is adding to our difficulties," he said. Water conservation efforts, if continued consistently, would surely go a long way in replenishing the ground water & mitigating the problems of water shortage, he said.
The full story is available on www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=297597
Gender & Water Alliance steering committee member visits IRHA Secretariat
On 12th May the IRHA Secretariat received the visit of Gender & Water Alliance (GWA) steering committee member Mrs Ethne Davey, of South Africa. Research and practical experience from the GWA have demonstrated that effective, efficient and equitable water resources management is only achieved when both women & men are involved in integrated water resource management.
IRHA is a firm supporter of gender equity. During Ethne's visit to the Secretariat discussions included ways in which the two organisations could collaborate more closely in the future and sign a memorandum of understanding for common actions. More information on GWA is available on www.genderandwater.org
Special Call for Research on Water & Food
The International Foundation for Science (IFS) and the CGIAR Challenge Programme on Water & Food (CPWF) have issued a call for research proposals open to young scientists.
Researchers in developing countries who satisfy the IFS eligibility criteria & undertake research into Crop Water Productivity Improvement; Water & People in Catchments; Aquatic Ecosystems & Fisheries; Integrated Basin Water Management Systems; or the Global & National Food & Water System may apply for the grant.
Research grants are awarded up to a value of US$ 12,000 for a period of 1-3 years. The twice renewable grants are intended for the purchase of scientific equipment, expendable supplies & literature, & to arrange field activities. Grantees must be salaried by, or have a stipend from, the university where the research project will be conducted. The grant will include mentorship & guidance on theme, basin & project from theme leaders, basin coordinators & project leaders.
Application deadline: 30 June, 2005. For information about the IFS grant & application process, go to: www.ifs.se/Programme/waterandfood_call_2005.asp.
Cloud Seeding
More than 30 flights a day have recently been heading into the clouds above Thailand to persuade them to part with their water. 1,000 cloud seeding flights in less than a month are thought to have eased the toughest drought for seven years by up to 80%.
Cloud seeding got its start in 1946 when Dr. Vincent J. Schaefer, working at the General Electric Laboratory in New York, was involved with research to create artificial clouds in a chilled chamber. Schaefer placed dry ice in a chamber he thought too warm & water vapour in the chamber formed a cloud around the dry ice. The ice crystals in the dry ice had provided a nucleus around which droplets of water could form inside the chamber.
Natural rainfall works much the same way. Ice crystals are formed when cold water contacts particles of dust, salt, or sand. An ice crystal provides a nucleus around which water droplets can attach, increasing the size of the droplet. When the droplet becomes large enough, it falls as rain. This is the "cold rain" process. Cloud seeding is thought to increase the number of these nuclei available to take greater advantage of the moisture in the cloud & form raindrops that otherwise would not have formed.
The "warm rain" process, usually involves clouds in tropical regions that never reach the freezing point. In these clouds, raindrops form around a "hygroscopic nuclei", a particle that attracts water such as salt or dust. To encourage the "warm rain" process, calcium chloride is usually seeded to provide the nucleus for raindrop formation. For the "cold rain" process, silver iodide is seeded because its structure is very similar to ice crystals.
In Thailand the planes use a technique patented by King Bhumibol Adulyade, spraying silver iodide into cold clouds and salt & dry ice into warm clouds at different altitudes to make rain fall over a wide area.
Thailand's success has led countries including Cambodia & Oman to ask for technical assistance. However, the Thais say that cloud seeding only works if you have the right type of clouds and where humidity is higher than 60 per cent.
Cloud seeding experiments have been taking place for nearly 60 years & the technique has also been applied successfully in Australia, China, Malaysia & the Philippines. You can find more information on cloud seeding on: www.edwardsaquifer.net/cloudseeding.html
Close to the IRHA Secretariat in Switzerland, rockets are used to make the big summer cumulus clouds precipitate. This is not particularly because the rain is needed, but to pre-empt the formation of hail which could damage the precious vineyards!
Scientists Call for Action as Global Food Demands Threaten to Outstrip World Water Supply
A Major Solution - Harvesting Rainwater !
Scientists from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the World Conservation Union (IUCN) & the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) have declared that the ambitious international commitment to halve the number of people facing hunger has missed a fundamental question: where is the water needed to grow the food to feed future generations properly? Their report, "Let It Reign: The New Water Paradigm for Global Food Security" points out that feeding the world is a daunting water challenge in many ways.
The most promising solutions identified in the report come from rain-fed agriculture. Using rain more efficiently - rainwater harvesting - is a time-tested practice in some parts of the world that the report says needs strong support to come into wider use. A more effective use of precipitation in combination with land care has already led to a doubling of production in large parts of Africa. Also, better use of the rainwater in the soil - so-called "green water" can help fuel the agricultural revolution needed to end hunger.
The report is available on www.siwi.org, www.ifpri.org, www.iwmi.org and www.iucn.org. It was commissioned by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency as input into the CSD process & its 2004-05 focus on water & related issues.
International Secretariat for Water visits the IRHA Secretariat
During the Alternative World Water Forum and also on the 13th May, IRHA Secretariat received the visit of Raymond Jost, Secretary General of the International Secretariat for Water (ISW). Raymond is also a steering committee member of our Rainwater Partnership colleagues at the RAIN Foundation.
Discussions with Raymond centred on how to find synergies amongst RWH organisations, IRHA's participation in the European Water Solidarity Week, 17-21 October, 2005 in Strasbourg, France and future collaboration between the two organisations at the Mexico World Water Forum in 2006.
ISW was created to implement the principles embodied in the Montreal Charter, which was adopted in New Delhi at the conclusion of the United Nations´ Water and Sanitation Decade in 1990. More information on ISW is available on www.i-s-w.org
One small victory for RWH, but…
…the Indian Government still wishes to divert rivers rather than attempt to solve the underlying problems. During his inaugural address to the National Water Convention 2005, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India, suggested the following seven action points for the convention to consider:
1. Recommending schemes which will ensure availability of minimum 25,000 litres of water per year for each citizen in the country.
2. Recommending schemes ensuring availability of the water required for producing 400m tonnes of food grains per year by 2020. Simultaneously, it is suggested that the agricultural scientists need to develop crop varieties, similar to ICRISAT seeds, which will need minimum water.
3. Schemes chosen should ensure that no state is affected by flood or drought.
4. Water harvesting must be made mandatory for all buildings. Necessary legal provisions may be made in this regard.
5. Recommending appropriate legal provisions for making recycling of water mandatory in all buildings particularly large hotels & industries where large amount of water is consumed.
6. Expenditure required for rehabilitation & environmental improvement should become part of the mission of "connecting water resources". Also, a people oriented governance system should be in place to take care of affected people.
7. The Ministry of Water Resources has to consolidate all the best aspects of the many schemes for interlinking rivers & bring out a cost effective project report. As a whole, interlinking of rivers has to be a mission mode project.
Despite civil society's outcry over the huge sums of money involved to divert river water between basins it seems that the Indian government still wishes to go ahead with its schemes to interlink rivers. For more information on the government's position see http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=9161
Future Nigerian Rainwater Harvesters to visit the IRHA Secretariat
A 5 person study tour funded by the Bayelsa State Government, Nigeria, through the Governor's Special Representative in Abuja, is planning to visit the IRHA Secretariat in Geneva on 4-5th July. The study tour wishes to find global lessons on sustainable water solutions through RWH.
The primary aim of the study tour is to serve as an entry point for RWH into Nigerian water resources management. A forthcoming conference in December will introduce RWH concepts to a wider Nigerian audience, including state governors and members of the national assembly.
They also hope to meet with the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council so that RWH can become an integral part of Nigeria's WASH Campaign. The IRHA Secretariat plans to run a day-long RWH training course together with a field visit to Geneva's most successful rooftop RWH projects such as on the roof of the city hospital. The study tour participants are interested in learning about cultural and ecological aspects of RWH as well as cross cutting topics such as advocacy.
New Publication
A new publication by Art Ludwig, published by Oasis Design, "Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use", is a do-it-yourself guide to designing, building, & maintaining water tanks, cisterns & ponds, & sustainably managing groundwater storage. It will help you with your independent water system, fire protection, & disaster preparedness, at low cost. The book also includes detailed guidelines for how to make several styles of ferrocement water tanks (125 pages, 43 diagrams, 128 photographs). See: www.oasisdesign.net/water/storage
Dates for your Diary
The Natural Resource Management Unit of India's Centre for Science and Environment is holding its 4th training programme on Urban Rainwater Harvesting from 13-16 June, in New Delhi. For full information go to www.cseindia.org/misc/rwh_course.htm Please register quickly. Course modules: Tradition and relevance; Urban water scenario case studies; RWH structure design; Maintenance & monitoring; field visits to model project sites designed by CSE.
On the 14th July 2005, an International Water Forum will be held at the Unidad Académica Profesional Texcoco, part of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México. This is organised in conjunction with The International Centre for Demonstration and Training in Efficient Use of Rainwater (CIDECALLI) www.cidecall.org.mx and the Civil Protection and Environment Agencies. For more information www.galeon.com/forodelagua
The North American Rainwater Harvesting Conference, 14-16th July, 2005, will be held in Seattle, Washington, USA. More information on the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association's 2nd national conference is available on www.arcsa-usa.org or contact Hari.Krishna@twdb.state.tx.us Two days of presentations, poster sessions & exhibit displays will be followed by a third for optional field trips. Please register as soon as possible.
The International Centre for Demonstration and Training in Efficient Use of Rainwater (CIDECALLI) is organising the XIth Latin American and Caribbean Conference on "Rainwater Catchment Systems for Sustainable Development of Watersheds", in Autlán Jalisco, Mexico, from 25th to 27th July, 2005. For further information contact General Coordinator, Dr. Manuel Anaya Garduño at anayam@colpos.mx
A list of events is available at www.irha-h2o.org
Music or Poems about Rainwater
IRHA plans to be co-hosting a side-event at the Stockholm Water Week and would like to brighten up the session with traditional music from around the world which draws its inspiration from rain and the life it brings. Please send us a CD or tell us where to (legally!) download it.
If you would like your newsletter in French next month then just send us an e-mail.
Best regards from the IRHA Secretariat staff