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Newsletter n° 10 - September 2005
"Rainwater Harvesting for household use has been the single biggest
improvement in my standard of living ever. I'll never go back"
Tony Adrian, Louisiana, USA
Dear Rainwater Harvesters, this edition contains information on:
We have decided to skip the August edition due to the summer holidays in many countries & make issue number 10, September's issue.
IRHA at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico - Local Actions for a Global Challenge
The International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance is convening a session at next year's World Water Forum entitled, "Rainwater, watershed management & food sovereignty". The co-convening organisations are the Colegio de Posgraduados de Texcoco- CIDECALLI (the Post-Graduate College's International Centre for Demonstration & Training in Utilising Rainwater) and PNUMA/UNEP. This alliance will be presenting four local actions:
Full information about the session is available on:
http://www.worldwaterforum.org/home/detalle_sess.asp?cve_interest=88&lan=
If you wish to participate in this session, please contact:
Margarita Pacheco, IRHA Executive Secretary on secretariat@irha-h2o.org; or
Dr. Manuel Anaya Garduno, Coordinator of CIDECALLI on anayam@colpos.mx ; or
Julio Calderon, PNUMA Coordinator, Lat. Am. & Caribbean on julio.calderon@pnuma.org
Memorandum of Understanding between IRHA & Texcoco Post-Graduate College
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance & the Texcoco Post-Graduate College, where CIDECALLI is based, to confirm the parties' mutual interest to cooperate not only in Mexico, but throughout the LAC region. This resolve should also reinforce the cooperation between IRHA & the International Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (IRCSA) & PNUMA/UNEP & improve the positioning of RWH in Latin America as a whole. It will strengthen the actions of the recently formed Latin American & Caribbean Rainwater Harvesting Alliance.
Dr. Manuel Anaya Garduno is Coordinator of CIDECALLI, vice-president of IRCSA & also vice-president of the Latin American & Caribbean Rainwater Harvesting Alliance.
All these organisations will be working as close allies before, during & after the 4th World Water Forum. See above.
Nigerians for Rainwater Harvesting
Following a request from a group of Nigerians who hope to form the nucleus of a future Nigerian rainwater alliance, IRHA organised two days of training on RWH in Geneva at the International Environment House (4-5 July). IRHA also invited African students from Geneva University's development & international relations institutes, as well as African representatives of Geneva's diplomatic corps.
Unfortunately our Nigerian friends' visas failed to be issued in time & they were not able to come, but the training days went on regardless & the Geneva participants followed the training days in English. There was translation for Francophones. Animated discussions showed the importance of water in African life & the participants expressed their desire to see future RWH actions in the field. The afternoon of day two was given over to RWH site visits with Mr. George Clavien as guide - a representative of Geneva's water authority. These two days raised great interest RWH & those present encouraged IRHA to organise similar séances in the future.
Rainwater Harvesting in Eritrea
When IRHA met with the Eritrean delegation at last year's WASH Forum in Dakar they were told, "Of course we harvest rainwater - that's all we've got!" No major international rivers run into Eritrea from its neighbours. It is now the rainy season & Eritreans are struggling to catch every drop. In June this year several rain harvesting structures were built & inaugurated.
As says Kiflay Kidane of the Eritrean Water Resources Department, "Our activities include well digging, construction of reservoirs & tap stands, & dams of different types & sizes. In the year 2005 & especially in the months of April, May & June, 4 masonry dams & 5 earth dams were constructed. The masonry dams (constructed with cement & reinforcement) have a storage capacity of 5,000 to 50,000 cubic meters whereas the earth dams have a storage capacity of 1,000 to 5,400 cubic meters. All the masonry dams were constructed with funding obtained from donor agencies. Concrete dams are a bit expensive; hence we are paying more attention to the construction of earth dams which can be built with the limited capacities of the communities. Beneficiary communities, as stakeholders, are willing to provide free labour (stone cutting & shaping, transporting it to the construction sites & helping masons). The earth dams were constructed completely using community labour. The government covered any fuel costs for bulldozers. Dams were built in: Fekina, Emblak, Hawish, Aretay, Achrah, Adkom, Robto, Hinguiluk, Hamedey."
"Many other water projects dependent on ground water have been & are being constructed. A team of Water Resources Department staff members recently attended a training course on water conservation & ground water recharge given by Dr. Arjen of the Acacia Institute of Paris. We are now carrying out studies on the construction sand dams."
SEARNET Discussion Board gets off to a Flying Start
IRHA's partner, the Southern & Eastern African Rainwater Network, based in Nairobi has recently opened a lively internet discussion board on its web site: http://www.searnet.org/forum
There are different forums for SEARNET announcements, feedback and e-Workshops, as well as forums on RWH in general, groundwater recharge, water quality and urban RWH in the SEARNET region. There are also separate national forums for Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somaliland, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe. Thus countries whose national RWH associations do not have their own web sites now have a place to meet over the internet.
Will RWH help to meet water demand in the Kathmandu Valley?
The water shortage in the Kathmandu Valley could be partly met through a policy of RWH, Dhurva Kumar Bajimaya, Director General of the Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC), said to the local press on 23 July, 2005. He added that if the Kathmandu Metropolitan City included RWH technology in the construction of new buildings, then the policy would be even more effective. The Forum for Urban Water & Sanitation, Environment & Public Health Organisations (ENPHO) took officials on a field visit to Dallu & Swyambhu to observe RWH technology in action. "The NWSC has not been able to supply 50 per cent of the demand for water during the dry season," said Madan Das Sherestha, Deputy Director General of NWSC. He announced that the NWSC will also work on public awareness programmes on RWH. Prakash Amatya, executive director of NGO Forum, said that around 250 households in Kathmandu are harvesting rainwater.
(From the The Himalayan Times)
WaterAid Fog Harvesting in Nepal
In Eastern Nepal, the environment is characterised by the presence of water laden fog which forms in the summer months. Atmospheric water is abundant & clean so fog represents a viable water source that can be collected with simple, passive technology. Giant mesh nets suspended on ridgelines intercept moving fog, & millions of water droplets trickle down into tanks that can be accessed by villagers. So far three communities in Eastern Nepal have benefited from this new technology, collecting as much as 5,000 litres of fresh water per day for drinking & sanitation. As a result, foggy days can save the communities from the drudgery of their treks down steep terrain for water.
Full information is available on: www.wateraid.org/what_we_do/case_studies/6419.asp
Tokyo Asia Pacific Sky Water Forum
Dr. Murase Makoto (known to many as Dr. Rainwater) has informed IRHA of the successful conclusion of the TAP Sky Water Forum which was held in Sumida City (Tokyo), from 1-7 August. The title was "Building International Networks toward Solving the Water Crisis in Asia." There were a total of 2,000 participants at the forum! On 1st August, a "rainwater house" was installed at the rainwater museum in Sumida City. The house presents the technologies of rainwater collection, storage & infiltration, & how sky water can be safe, good tasting drinking water as an alternative to arsenic or salt contaminated ground water.
Dr. Vicente Santiago made a great contribution to the International Rainwater Summit on 5th August on behalf of the UNEP-International Environmental Technology Centre. After afield trip to rainwater project sites in Sumida City, there was a workshop on sky water as a source of safe drinking water, held in the rainwater museum.
The conclusions of the TAP Sky Water Forum are summarized in the Tokyo Declaration which is available on: http://www.tap-skywater.jp/declaration-e.html
11th National & 1st LAC Conference on Rainwater Catchment & Utilisation Systems
This conference, sub-titled "The Basis for the Sustainable Development of Micro Watersheds" took place in Autlan, Jalisco State, Mexico. Dr. Manuel Anaya, coordinator of CIDECALLI (the International Centre for Demonstration & Training in Utilising Rainwater) within the Postgraduate School in Texcoco, Mexico, invited IRHA's Executive Secretary, Margarita Pacheco, to brief the conference on progress made in positioning RWH within Integrated Water Resources Management & to help strengthen the structure of the Latin American & Caribbean Rainwater Harvesting Alliance.
The many presentations at the conference showed the increasing visibility & interest in RWH projects on-going in marginal rural areas. RWH in Mexico is being recognised as a sustainable solution helping to reduce rural exodus & which can be a counterweight to corruption in centralised/piped water supply systems. Guest speakers came from many States & other Central American countries. There was an exhibition of private sector Mexican technologies for water & soil conservation, for example, materials to retain soil humidity.
Nearly 500 people attended the Autlan conference; which resulted in concrete proposals for RWH events to be held during the 4th World Water Forum, including a RWH session to be convened by IRHA, & a visit to Mixteca region RWH projects in March 2006, before the Forum. To follow up & coordinate these proposals IRHA held talks with the Mexican National Water Commission, the State of Puebla representative, Alberto Jimenez Merino (who is an IRHA steering committee member) & the PNUMA/UNEP LAC Regional Coordinator of the Natural Resources Unit, Julio Calderon.
IRHA will continue working towards building synergies among other regional organisations to make RWH a strategic component of Food Sovereignty, Social Stability & Environmental Sustainability, making the poorest rural areas a priority.
A visit by Margarita Pacheco to the Governor of Puebla State & three field visits to CIDECALLI projects in indigenous communities in the Mixteca Region & in Michoacan State showed the increasing political interest to mainstream RWH for watershed development, soil conservation & better livelihoods.
The 5th Brazilian Symposium on Rainwater Catchment & Management
The symposium took place 11-14 July in Teresina, Piauí State, & was organised by the Brazilian Rainwater Catchment & Management Association (ABCMAC). It was attended by 238 researchers, students, academics, national experts from the various regions of Brazil, a guest lecturer from India & one from Mexico, community leaders, representatives of governmental institutions & politicians committed to RWH. IRHA steering committee member Adélia de Melo Branco was also present. This year's theme was "Rainwater Catchment & Management for Sustainability in Rural & Urban Areas - Technologies & the Construction of Citizenship".
The symposium featured workshops, lectures & the presentation of papers. Each one was followed by a discussion & there was a lot of audience participation. There were a series of advances & insights on new technology & the use of RWH for social mobilization in areas affected by water scarcity. A presentation on Climate Change highlighted the importance of RWH in reducing its problems. The symposium came up with several recommendations:
ABCMAC considers these recommendations from civil society to be a great contribution towards the rightful inclusion of RWH in the elaboration of a National Water Resources Plan.
Full information in Portuguese is available on www.abcmac.org.br or contact johanng@abcmac.org.br , President of ABCMAC.
News from the North American RWH Conference
The North American RWH Conference in Seattle (13-15 July) went very well & was enjoyed by all the participants. The 3 day event was organised by the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) & co-sponsored by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), SvR Design Company, Mithun Architects & Lakota Water Company. Dr. Hari Krishna, ARCSA President, served as the conference chairperson & sent this news to IRHA.
On 13th July there was a pre-conference tour of public facilities using RWH in & around Seattle (coordinated by ARCSA's Heather Kinkade-Levario). Both the Seattle City Hall & the King County Administration Building use rainwater for flushing toilet & for part of their landscape watering needs.
Two days of conference sessions followed at the Seattle Center. Copies of the new Rainwater Harvesting Manual from the Texas Water Development Board (see below: New Publications) were included in the registrations packets for all attendees, along with the compilation of speakers' abstracts. Mr. Chuck Clarke, SPU Director, provided opening remarks & the keynote speaker was Mr. Michael D'Andrea from Toronto Water. There were 26 excellent oral presentations, 8 posters & about a dozen exhibits.
The conference presentations included sessions on Design & Engineering, Water Quality, Rules & Regulations, & case studies of RWH systems in the Pacific Northwest & in many other locations. A panel session was included on the second day's programme to help answer any RWH related questions that the audience wished to ask.
The conference attracted 140 attendees from all over the continental USA (from California to Massachusetts), Hawaii, Canada, Brazil, Libya and New Zealand. A post-conference tour to the San Juan Islands was available for those interested.
PowerPoint presentations from this conference will be made available in pdf format on the ARCSA website www.arcsa-usa.org under the Members' section.
2006 Stockholm Water Prize
Although the 2005 Stockholm Water Prize was only awarded last week to Sunita Narain of India's Centre for Science & Environment, one of the biggest activists & supporters of rainwater harvesting, the application deadline for next year's prize is 30 September 2005. See
http://www.siwi.org/swp/swpnominate.html for full details.
The Stockholm Water Prize is presented annually to an individual, institution or organization for outstanding water-related activities. The activities can be within the fields of aid, awareness-building & education, engineering, management or science. Any activity or actor that contributes broadly to the availability, conservation and protection of the world's water resources, & to improved water conditions contributing to the health of the planet's inhabitants & ecosystems, is eligible to be nominated. The Prize includes a USD 150,000 award & a crystal sculpture.
Training
An advanced training Programme on "Integrated Water Resources Management - West Africa" will take place from 28 November to 9 December 2005 in Sweden. Amongst other topics this will cover water harvesting & supplemental irrigation opportunities for crop production to bridge dry spells in dry zones. This is a fundamental component of dry spell mitigation & a fundamental part of upgrading rain-fed agriculture.
A number of international training programmes are financed by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). The training comprises different technical & administrative themes, principally in the form of lessons & seminars via which Swedish experts share their great experience & competence. Using a SIDA financial model, Ramboll Natura AB, in collaboration with the Stockholm International Water Institute, is offering this international training on IWRM for francophone West Africa. The last date for candidates is 16 September & enrolment forms are available from your nearest Swedish embassy or consulate.
The second part will take place in Burkina Faso over 3 weeks between March & April 2006.
More information is on: http://www.siwi.org/courses/coursesprojects_French.html
Rainwater Harvesting in Pacific Island Countries
The South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) was involved in a pilot RWH project carried out in Vava'u, Tonga (which is close to paradise - Darren). This project was a UNEP initiative, funded by the Swedish International Development Agency, & implemented by SOPAC in partnership with the Ama Takiloa programme of the Tonga Community Development Trust.
Apart from the construction of RWH infrastructure in two villages, longer-term objectives of the project included:
In line with these objectives, the main outputs of this project are below.
New Publications
"Harvesting the Heavens: Guidelines on Rainwater Harvesting in Pacific Island Countries". These guidelines are for individuals who are interested in building or maintaining RWH systems as well as for NGOs, CBOs, regional organisations & donor agencies involved in the implementation of RWH projects. The intention of the guidelines is to help in the sustainable implementation of RHW projects as well as to assist in improving the quality of the water supply. It contains technical design, operation & maintenance information as well as discussing approaches to project implementation & sustainability.
"Harvesting the Heavens: A Manual for Participatory Training in Rainwater Harvesting". The manual was developed to complement a "Training of Trainers" workshop that was conducted as part of the above project. It is targeted for use by NGOs, CBOs or others involved in RWH & contains a number of participatory techniques, tools & activities to assist communities in learning about the operation & maintenance of RWH systems.
Both the guidelines & the manual can be downloaded from www.sopac.org. For additional copies & any other information related to RWH please contact Ms Sarah Davies, Water Supply & Sanitation Engineer on sarah@sopac.org.
"The Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting" is now published in its third edition by the Texas Water Development Board. There are chapters on: RWH System Components; Water Quality & Treatment; Water Balance & System Sizing; RWH Guidelines; Cost Estimation; and Financial & Other Incentives. Although aimed at Texas there is a lot of interesting information, especially on municipal, county & state legislation & tax exemptions to encourage RWH. It can be downloaded from:
http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/RainwaterHarvestingManual_3rdedition.pdf
Streams of Knowledge the Global coalition of Water & Sanitation Resource Centres issued its first electronic newsletter on 18 July 2005. This E-newsletter provides current information to governments, professionals, researchers, private sector, civil society, academe, & their counterparts in the donor community who are interested in water sector issues that affect the pace of development. For more information, contact info@streams.net or subscribe on their web site: http://www.streams.net
"A Water Harvesting Manual for Urban Areas - Case studies from Delhi" is a practical guide to water harvesting systems along with illustrations & working drawings, by India's Centre for Science & Environment. Detailed descriptions & diagrams of various RWH methods & techniques are included, as well as information on storage & groundwater recharge. It is also available in five regional languages from: http://csestore.cse.org.in
"From the Mountain to the Tap: How Land Use and Water Management can Work for the Rural Poor" will be launched officially during World Water Week in Stockholm, but it has already been creating quite a stir. It summarises research commissioned by the tropical Forestry Research Programme of the UK Department for International Development. The potential implications of the results from this 4-year multi-country collaboration in Costa Rica, South Africa, Tanzania, Grenada & India are immense as they contradict current tree-planting policies & environmental beliefs. Trees, if planted in water scarce environments, may reduce dry season flows & therefore worsen the living conditions of the poor. The research results point to the need for water managers & policy makers to base decisions on tree planting schemes on scientific evidence appropriate for the site. Unless there is urgent action, the looming water crisis will aggravate, & leave the most vulnerable - the rural & urban poor populations - ever more disadvantaged. For more information on the booklet & the research that contributed to it, contact Katelijne Rothschild at k.rothschild@nrint.co.uk. More information about the Forestry Research Programme is available at www.frp.uk.com.
Dates for your Diaries
The "2005 East Asia Rainwater Utilization Conference" will take place in Kaoshung City, Taiwan, 15-18 September. This is organised by the Taiwan Rainwater Catchment Systems Association & the Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan. The four major themes are: Rainwater & Policy; Rainwater Utilization & Urban Flood Mitigation; Rainwater Utilization & Water Supply; & Rainwater Utilization & the Environment 1.5 days for paper presentation and 0.5 day for technical tour. Rainwater experts from UNEP, Japan, Korea, America, the Philippines, Sri Lanka & Taiwan have been invited. For more information contact Professor Chao-Hsien Liaw: chliaw@ms41.hinet.net
The 2nd training course in "Efficient Urban Water Uses Management" will be held from 3-7 October, 2005, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The main organizer is the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation. The course aims to develop awareness of the importance & value of water; to promote & implement a culture of efficient & rational water use; to be part of a way of life & to change consumption habits. This course will also try to contribute to the reduction of the environmental impact of water use & pollution, as well as promote the use of water saving technologies & mechanisms using the public sector as an example. See: http://www.unesco.org/water/water_events/Detailed/1081.shtml
IRHA will be participating in the "European Water Solidarity Week" which will take place in Strasbourg, France, 17-21 October, 2005. Organised by the International Water Secretariat with the support of the Council of Europe & the World Water Council, the theme is water & waste water management. The goal is to initiate or develop water solidarity between Western Europe & Central & Eastern Europe through a programme of debates, exchanges, training & field visits. These meetings are part of the preparations for the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico next year under the theme "Local solutions to global challenges". E-mail Cathy Martinez: cmartinez@s-e-e.org or visit www.s-w-e.org for more information.
CAP-NET, the Gender & Water Alliance & the Central American Network of Engineering Institutions (REDICA), based in Costa Rica, & the UN International Research & Training Institute for the Advancement of Women www.un-instraw.org, are organising a workshop on "Gender & Integrated Water Resources Management" in the Dominican Republic, 13-17 November, 2005. The Caribbean region is very vulnerable to natural, environmental & economic global phenomena as well as rapid population growth. IWRM facilitates the development & coordination of efforts to manage water, soil, forests, ecosystems & economic activities in a watershed. Gender equity is a key cross-cutting theme as it ensures the participation of the most vulnerable social groups & particularly focuses attention on women's needs. For more information, contact Liliana Arrieta of REDICA on liliarrieta@hotmail.com or Edison Ariel Montes de Oca on areilmoca@hotmail.com.
IRHA is delighted that Issue #10 goes out to over 2,000 individuals & organisations, up from about 500 for Issue #1. Thank you for helping us make the Alliance grow. Keep sending us the contact details of your colleagues interested in all aspects of RWH.
If you would like your newsletter in French next month then just send us an e-mail.
Best regards from the IRHA Secretariat staff