International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance

Newsletter n° 13 - December 2005
"It never only rains on one roof"

Dear Rainwater Harvesters,
The IRHA secretariat would like to wish all its sponsors, members, partners & monthly newsletter readers a very happy holiday season & a prosperous new year. This edition contains information on:

• Praying for Rain in Bolivia
• "Managing Water in Rain Fed Agriculture" - Your opinion is valuable!
• 4,000 new readers for the newsletter thanks to IISD
• SEARNET Annual Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda
• Rwanda Backs Regional Rainwater Harvest Initiative
• IRHA Continues Preparations for the World Water Forum 2006
• A Report on the IRCSA 2005 Conference, in New Delhi, India
• In-field Rainwater Harvesting for Homestead Backyard Gardens
• Harvest Rainwater, South Africa is told
• "Water Advocates" aim to triple U.S. funding by 2010
• President Bush signs "Water for the Poor Act" into Law
• Training Courses
• IRHA Membership
• New Publications
• Dates for your Diaries

Praying for Rain in Bolivia
By Steve Lotti, Green Cross Bolivia

"The real fight has begun. My name is Steve Lotti & I have lived in the community of San Antonio de Lomerio in the eastern part of Bolivia working with rainwater harvesting. In my previous article I described Bolivia in general, its people & its challenges. The challenge facing San Antonio is the lack of water. I also described our experience with the construction of a practice rainwater harvesting system completed last March. A year later, we are now in the heart of a larger project, the first part funded by my organization, the Peace Corps of the United States, & the second by Green Cross Japan. What a difference a year makes! I say, with great satisfaction, that this article may be boring because everything is going so smoothly. No stories of donkeys eating cement or things going wrong. The only real uncontrollable factor has been rain. But in a community starved of water, we do not complain much about a little rain. We can work around that.

I am currently working with the same group of community members that helped me with the practice system in the local school so many months ago. We are still working with the ferrocement technology. With each tank, we are improving the quality every time & correcting little details each time. It is the joke among my group that the person next in line to receive his tank jokes with the previous person that his tank will be "better" because we have more practice. Our first participant, Juan Flores, already has a quarter of a tank & hasn't installed his gutters yet! All the tanks, thanks to improved experience & resources are 100% better than the practice tank of a year ago. This pilot project has motivated the entire community to the point that I have to answer "When are we going to do mine?" at least 5 times a day. We will finish the first 9 tanks at the end of February & will go straight in to the second phase funded by GCJ in March.

My first crew, who are now "expertos" with ferrocement, have already received contracting offers by other members of the community. I am very excited about this aspect because it is the first evidence than the project is SUSTAINABLE even after my departure. We are currently awaiting news from the Japanese Embassy in Bolivia for funding for 200 more systems. Our municipal government has pledged its support in this project & also said it will contract trained community members to direct & diffuse the ferrocement technology to the other communities of Lomerio. I am really excited to watch the progress we have made in my year & a half in Bolivia. I feel that we have the components in place: GC Bolivia, GC Japan, the municipal government, &, most of all, a motivated community that will improve the well being of Lomerio for years to come. I thank the entire Green Cross community for your support. Everyone pray for rain!"

28-year old Stephen Lotti & his mother, Sheera Young, very sadly died as the result of a plane crash on 23 August, in Peru, after he had finished his Peace Corps work. This was an article Steve wrote earlier in 2005. For more information on Green Cross International, visit:
www.gci.ch


"Managing Water in Rain Fed Agriculture" - Your opinion is valuable!

On behalf of the International Water Management Institute, IRHA would like to invite all readers of the newsletter to read & react to the new version of the chapter on "Managing Water in Rain Fed Agriculture" of the Comprehensive Assessment on Water Management in Agriculture.

Do you agree with the main messages suggested by the writing teams? Do you disagree, & if so, why? Do you have other evidence to strengthen the synthesis? IWMI would appreciate receiving your comments before 15th January 2006 (please do not quote this document as it is still a draft).

During the last few months the lead authors have been revising their chapter, taking into account comments received on the first draft as well as an internal review across chapters -face to face & online. Now IWMI wishes to get feedback about the chapter from a vast cross-section of rainwater harvesters, via the IRHA newsletter. Click below for the pdf.

http://203.115.28.178:8080/download/attachments/1442/rainfed+chapter+2nd+draft.pdf?version=1

Please read the chapter above & provide any comments or material you have to: casyn-rainwater@cgiar.org with a CC to: m.ranawake@cgiar.org. This second draft benefits from the exchange & feedbacks on the 1st draft but was revised in a relatively short time. IWMI welcomes your additional inputs to help shape the final version - particularly much appreciated are examples, tables, & figures, with complete references to help make a point. The contributions of those who make substantial comments will be appropriately acknowledged. If you have not had an opportunity to be involved yet, now is a good time.

Next steps: The authors will consider your comments & the comments of formal reviewers for a final draft to be prepared in February. Key results will be presented at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico in March & at the Stockholm Water Week in August 2006.
Thank you very much for your participation in the CA.

Find out more about the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture on: http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Assessment/Synthesis/index.htm


4000 New readers of the IRHA newsletter thanks to IISD

The circulation of the IRHA newsletter jumped enormously last month as it is now distributed on the water list of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (www.iisd.org )

IISD's mission is "To champion innovation, enabling societies to live sustainably". IISD contributes to sustainable development by advancing policy recommendations on international trade & investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement & assessment, & natural resources management. By using Internet communications, IISD reports on international negotiations & brokers knowledge gained through collaborative projects with global partners, resulting in more rigorous research, capacity building in developing countries & better dialogue between North & South.

If you would like to subscribe to the IISD water list information newsletter,
go to: http://www.iisd.org/about/iisdnews.asp (bottom right-hand corner).


SEARNET Annual Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda

From 28 November to 1 December, the Rwandan capital, Kigali, became the centre of the African RWH as it hosted the 9th annual conference of the Southern and Eastern African Rainwater Network (SEARNET). The conference was superbly hosted by the Rwandan Rainwater Harvesting Association & very warmly supported by the Rwandan Government. The conference gathered actual & candidate SEARNET members & partners from more than 14 countries.

Since its foundation, the RWH movement in this region has come a long way. SEARNET is now a strong, well structured network of national organisations, with trained & experienced specialists & outstanding results. This force is ready to transfer its potential into a critical mass of project implementation which will prove the efficiency & capacity of the numerous RWH technologies. That is why the organizers called the meeting "Identifying the implementation paths beyond 2006" & each national organization presented its plan for the next five years.

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

See: www.searnet.org .


Rwanda Backs Regional Rainwater Harvest Initiative
By Innocent Gahigana of The New Times, Kigali, 2 December 2005

The persistent water crisis & failure to trap rainwater may be short-lived as Rwanda gears up to implement the regional rainwater harvesting initiative. This was revealed by Minister of Lands & Environment, Drocella Mugorewera, during the 9th SEARNET regional conference held in Kigali.

The minister hailed the SEARNET rainwater harvesting initiative as the best strategy to solve the sudden decline of water-levels of several lakes & rivers around the country due to climatic changes. "Water continues to be scarce & more expensive than milk in Rwanda. This is coupled with environment degradation which is a regional issue. We must join hands to develop a regional strategy to curb the problem," Mugorewera urged.

Paul Kabalisa, the coordinator of Rwanda Rainwater Harvesting Association, (RRHA), which organised the conference, said that the regional initiative is to focus on training of people to construct rainwater reservoirs. Kabalisa said, "It will help us (RRHA) to accomplish our mission of ensuring the efficient collection & usage of rainwater using environmentally-friendly technologies, hence contributing to sustainable development."

The initiative is to be supervised by SEARNET, a regional body composed of nine countries, in order to facilitate the Rwandan community to recognize the importance of rainwater harvesting. "This will enable RRHA to share a national strategic plan for implementing rainwater harvesting policies, & report progress made at national level to SEARNET Secretariat in Nairobi Kenya to solicit support", Kabalisa added.

Maibo Malesu, the regional coordinator of SEARNET, also said that they have tried to solicit help from other members to support the strategic plan for Rwanda. "We have succeeded in convincing the SEARNET member states on how to conduct a pilot study on Rwanda to identify its opportunities to streamline rainwater harvesting policy," Malesu noted. He said that the initiative would help Rwanda to adopt the regional strategic plan for harvesting rainwater.


IRHA Continues Preparations for the World Water Forum 2006

After a series of meetings at the Mexican National Water Commission & with UNEP, the WWF organisers confirmed a two hours session on the 18th March 2006, under the title: Rainwater, Watershed Management & Food Sovereignty. (Ref. No. TS0088RGBFT4). IRHA has been invited to be the convener of the RWH session, with CIDECALL (International Centre for Demonstration & Training in Utilising Rainwater) & UNEP as co-organisers of the initiative. This session will incorporate the proposals made by IRCSA (see below) & St. Gregorios College of India.

A pre-forum visit to watershed management & RWH projects in Texcoco & Puebla will be organised under the coordination of CIDECALL & the Rural Development Secretariat of Puebla State. An itinerant exhibition with a set of posters on different RWH experiences from LAC, Asia and Africa will also be co-ordinated. The group proposes to distribute CIDECALL's "Lluviatl" purified rainwater in bottles during the WWF & a poster exhibition will also be organised during the forum.

It is expected that these activities during the WWF will help to build a critical mass of RWH options & to aid planning for the Itinerant Exhibition in Latin American & Caribbean countries. They should also strengthen strategic alliances to position RWH in political agendas, to generate national legislation & policies encouraging RWH programmes & projects in the region.

For more information about RWH at the 4th WWF write to: secretariat@irha-h2o.org .


A Report on the IRCSA 2005 Conference in New Delhi, India
By Ram Krishnan

"The 12th International Rainwater Harvesting Conference of the International Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (IRCSA) was a great success, according to IRCSA officers Jessica Salas & Hari Krishna. The conference took place in New Delhi, 15-18 November & attracted almost 350 delegates, about half of whom were from within India, with almost all 28 States represented. Delegates also came from Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, USA, Japan, China, UK, Germany, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal & Bangladesh. Representatives from UNICEF India & FAO in Rome also attended.

The conference consisted of 3 days of meetings & presentations & one full day of field visits which took the delegates to 3 different sites, both urban & rural, to show examples of RWH installations. All six 40-seater buses were filled with delegates.

On the opening day, two representatives from the Government of India were invited. After the opening ceremony, RWH presentations were given under 6 themes. You can see the details at www.ircsa2005.org .

Some of the highlights of the conference were the presentations by school children from three Indian States: Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu & Kerala. Their schools have installed RWH systems with help from UNICEF India. It was interesting to learn how these students had convinced their parents to install RWH in their houses & carried out community campaigns to promote RWH. The school in Rajasthan had come up with two crisp messages in Hindi to promote RWH: "Jal hee jeevan" (Water is life) & "Jal hai to, kal hai" (Have water, have a tomorrow).

On a personal level, I was happy to learn that RWH has caught on in all States of India. I learnt that significant RWH is taking place & that a good portion of the 150 Indian delegates are personally involved in RWH projects in their villages & districts. I feel that within the next 3 to 5 years, RWH will be occurring in every district in India. I will work on "next steps" to define where we go from this conference, what kind of process we can establish to achieve reasonable goals.

On the final afternoon, the closing session welcomed Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi, as its main guest. Mrs. Dikshit is no stranger to RWH as she installed a system on her own house in Delhi 3 years ago. She spoke of the need to bring about a change in the way people think of water & its use. She also suggested that after people's minimum water supply needs have been met, any further usage should be charged. The conference prepared a working draft document on "How to mainstream RWH." A copy of this document was given to Mrs.Dikshit.

Davey Manavalan & his team from Action for Food Production (www.afpro.org) deserve our thanks & appreciation for putting together a great conference. They have worked very hard for the last few months."


In-field Rainwater Harvesting for Homestead Backyard Gardens in South Africa
SABC News, 7 December 2005

The in-field RWH technique has helped 1,000 households in South Africa's Eastern Cape transform their backyards into productive gardens filled with vegetables & crops. Since its introduction in 2001, in-field RWH has helped the households attain profits of between 34-50%. The technique was developed by researchers from the Institute for Soil, Climate & Water (ISCW) of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) of South Africa. In-field RWH increases yields on high drought-risk clay soils by combining the advantages of water harvesting, no-till, basin tillage and mulching.

The technique entails promoting run-off on a 2m wide strip between alternate crop rows, & storing the run-off water in the basins. Water collected this way infiltrates deep into the soil, preventing evaporation. Various combinations of organic material or stones can be applied to the basins & the run-off area to promote water conservation. Mulch in the basins & the 2m wide run-off strip helps to suppress evaporation, while it also reduces or suppresses soil movement. Fully-grown crops benefit during dry seasons from the water stored in the soil underneath the runoff area, which is unavailable early in the growing season. After the basins have been constructed, no-till is applied to the land as a whole. Due to the absence of cultivation a crust soon develops on the runoff strip.

A paper entitled, "Evaluating the sustainability of the in-field rainwater harvesting crop production system" was submitted to the ICID - FAO International Workshop on Water Harvesting & Sustainable Agriculture, Moscow, 7 September 2004. See:
http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/aglw/wh/docs/botha.doc
Write to: botha@glen.agric.za or visit: http://www.arc.agric.za/institutes/iscw/main/projects/waterharvest.htm .


Harvest Rainwater, South Africa is told
By Fred Katerere, South Africa, 12 December 2005

Harvesting rainwater may be a better option to damming rivers to solve South Africa's water problems, says Philip Owen, an environmentalist at conservation NGO Geasphere. He said more than 80% of rivers worldwide were dammed, but that this had not always solved water scarcity problems.

Geasphere is part of the Southern African Water Crisis Network, which advocates the sustainable use of southern Africa's water & soil resources. Owen said every household should be informed, instead, about how to harvest rainwater & then be given the equipment to do so. "More dams are not the answer to our water problems," he said. He said dams blocked the natural movement of sediments & nutrients in rivers, causing South African rivers to silt up at an average of 2% each year. This affected fish populations because fish were sensitive to silt load, he said.

Apart from harvesting rainwater, he also suggested that households switched from flush-toilet systems to composting toilets to save water. Removing exotic timber plantations from the upper catchment areas of river systems also would free up more water, he said.
Visit: www.geasphere.co.za/


"Water Advocates" aim to triple U.S. funding by 2010

Water Advocates (www.wateradvocates.org) is a new U.S.-based non profit organisation dedicated to increasing American support for worldwide access to safe, affordable & sustainable supplies of drinking water & adequate sanitation. "Increase" means setting out to triple by 2010 the level of funding by the U.S. government & by private U.S. sources (civic organizations, faith communities, businesses & foundations). For further information and to convince them to back rainwater harvesting solutions contact: info@wateradvocates.org .


President Bush signs "Water for the Poor Act" into Law
From Source Weekly

President Bush signed the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act into law on 30 November 2005. The Act, introduced by Congressmen Earl Blumenauer & three of his Republican colleagues, makes access to clean water a central aim of US foreign assistance. While the US Agency for International Development (USAID) put about USD 500 m (EUR 417 m) into water projects in 2004, that assistance went largely to Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt & the West Bank & Gaza, while only about US$ 7 million (EUR 5.8 m) went to Sub-Saharan Africa. Under the new Act, the US government funding to Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, & Latin America is expected to double, with USD 50 m (EUR 41.7 m) going to Africa. About USD 250 m (EUR 208 m) is likely to go to new water programmes.

In his speech to Congress on 7 November 2005, Congressman Blumenauer, stressed the health, economic, social, environmental & political benefits of improving access to safe water & sanitation. The investment needed to reach the Millennium Development Goals for water & sanitation was "less than the cost of one takeout pizza per American family per year", he said.


Training Courses

Environmentally Sound Technology in Water Resources Management

The above course, organised by the International Association of Science & Technology for
Development & the University of Botswana, will take place in Gaborone, Botswana, 11-13 September 2006. The main themes are water supply & sustainable use; wastewater & storm water management; integrated watershed management; pollution prevention & reduction in industry; & issues in implementing environmentally sound technologies. There will be a special session on "Flood risk management in urban waters". The deadline for papers is 15 March 2006. For more information contact the IASTED Secretariat, Canada, on calgary@iasted.org or visit: http://www.iasted.org/conferences/2006/Botswana/estw.htm .


Decentralised Water Supply & Sanitation

This three-week course offered by the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education will be held in Delft, Netherlands, 10-28 July 2006. The aim is to provide theoretical background & practical expertise in the field of low-cost, decentralised water supply & sanitation alternatives specifically suitable for small towns, peri-urban areas & urban slums, small island communities, tourist resorts etc. Rainwater harvesting (the ultimate decentralised water resource) is one of the topics which will be covered in this course. The target group is mid-career professionals dealing with planning & management aspects of water supply & sanitation infrastructures, working for municipalities, government ministries, & water supply agencies or consulting firms. The cost is EUR 2,040 & the application deadline is 10 June 2006. Contact course co-ordinator, S.K. Sharma, PhD, on s.sharma@unesco-ihe.org or visit: http://www.unesco-ihe.org/vmp/articles/Short-Courses/SHO-DWSS.html .


International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance Membership

Do not forget to become a member of the Alliance for 2006. Go to: www.irha-h2o.org .


Publications

A few years ago the Gender & Water Alliance (GWA) & the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) produced a resource guide on gender mainstreaming in IWRM. The resource guide will now be updated. To make it more useful, practical, informative & accessible, GWA has compiled a questionnaire to collect information regarding its use. The questionnaire can be requested on: secretariat@gwalliance.org or it can be downloaded from the GWA website, www.genderandwater.org/page/2135 .
"Mainstreaming gender in water management: a practical journey to sustainability: a resource guide", is available on: http://www.undp.org/water/gender.html


Copies of the "Third Edition WHO Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality - Community Lifelines Programme", are available on: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/gdwq3/en/ .
Since the 2nd edition there have been a number of events that have highlighted the importance & furthered understanding of various aspects of drinking-water quality & health. These are reflected in this 3rd edition. The Guidelines are addressed primarily to water & health regulators, policy-makers & their advisors, to assist in the development of national standards. The Guidelines & associated documents are also used by many others as a source of information on water quality & health & on effective management approaches.

"Hydrology & Water Resources of Small Islands: A practical guide", is the 49th UNESCO IHP Studies & Reports in Hydrology. On most small islands, water development projects have not achieved anything. This was often because the technologies, design & materials were not suitable for either the environment or the cultural habits of the population, or because the operation & maintenance cost were excessive. Combined with geological & other physical complexities & the exposure to natural disasters, the hydrological & water resources problems, must be carefully considered. The situation is aggravated by lack of qualified personnel. The guide assists technicians, hydrologists, engineers & managers in the identification, assessment, development, management & protection of island water resources. It is intended to be a guide to the selection of methods & practices appropriate to the special conditions of small islands. Copies can be obtained from the SOPAC Secretariat (arieta@sopac.org) or UNESCO Apia Office (hans@unesco.org.ws) .

"Harvesting the Heavens, A Manual for Participatory Training in Rainwater Harvesting - Community Lifelines Programme", can be obtained from the SOPAC Secretariat. Write to arieta@sopac.org . Or you can download the document from:
http://www.sopac.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=CLP+Rainwater+Harvesting . This manual of participatory training in rainwater harvesting was developed as part of the United Nations Environment Programme project titled "Pilot Project on Empowering Women in Rainwater Harvesting in the Pacific Atoll Islands" with funding from the Government of Sweden. The manual is targeted for use by NGOs, community-based organisations or people involved in RWH, & contains a number of participatory techniques, tools & activities based on best practices from a variety of sources.

"Harvesting the Heavens, Guidelines for Rainwater Harvesting in Pacific Island Countries - Community Lifelines Programme", is also available from the same address.
The guidelines capture the lessons learned during the preparation & implementation of the demonstration project executed by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) & carried out in the island group of Vava'u of the Kingdom of Tonga through the Village Women's Development Programme of the Tonga community Development Trust. A DVD about the demonstration project carried out in the villages of 'Utungake & Matamaka in is also available highlighting community participation & ownership, encouraging women as well as men to participate in water management, & promoting sustainable approaches

"Water & Ethics: Human Health & Sanitation", by Monica Porto, is essay no.6 in a series on Water & Ethics published by the International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO. It discusses the close links between water & health & the ethical problems arising from this connection. It explores the interaction of poverty, sanitation & health & the recent attempts at the intergovernmental level to make real progress towards poverty reduction. Full access is available at: http://www.unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001363/136324e.pdf .

The full report on "Meeting the MDG Drinking-Water & Sanitation Target: A Mid-Term Assessment of Progress", by the World Health Organization & United Nations Children's Fund Joint Monitoring Programme can be accessed on www.unicef.org/publications/files/who_unicef_watsan_midterm_rev.pdf
The combination of safe drinking water & hygienic sanitation facilities is a precondition for health as well as for success in the fight against poverty, hunger, child morbidity & gender inequality. It is also central to the human rights & personal dignity of everyone on earth. Yet 2.6 billion people - half of the developing world - lack even a simple "improved" latrine. One person in six has little choice but to use potentially harmful sources of water. Our collective failure to tackle this problem could keep these people locked in a cycle of poverty & disease.


Dates for your Diaries

2006 is the International Year of Deserts & Desertification (IYDD), organised by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Secretariat (UNCCD). The Year was declared at the 58th session of the General Assembly & aims to curb desertification around the globe, along with its devastating environmental, social & economic costs. The IYDD provides a major opportunity both to strengthen the visibility & importance of the drylands issue on the international environmental agenda, while highlighting the truly global nature of the problem. All countries & civil society organizations have been encouraged to undertake special initiatives to mark the Year, & preparations are now well under way around the world.
See: http://www.unccd.int .

In 2006 World Water Day (WWD - on 22 March, as usual) will be guided by the theme "Water & Culture", under the leadership of United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Everybody is invited to devote the Day to concrete activities such as the promotion of public awareness through the publication & diffusion of documentaries & the organization of conferences, round tables, seminars & exhibitions related to the conservation & development of water resources & the implementation of the Agenda 21 recommendations. WWD also calls for teachers & kids to organize activities related to the day's theme of water & culture. At the beginning of 2006 a website dedicated to the Day will offer information about the different activities that will take place around the world. You can send a description of your projects to: wwd2006@unesco.org or visit: http://www.unesco.org/water/water_events/Detailed/1155.shtml

Abstracts are now being called for consideration as presentations in the technical sessions of "Water2006", an international conference focusing on research & scientific advancement in the water environment field. It will take place in Auckland, New Zealand, 1-4 August, 2006. It will bring new & exciting initiatives to delegates during a full 3-day programme featuring keynote addresses & technical presentations. The conference will provide key opportunities for professionals to gather & exchange information & ideas in both plenary & social situations. Building & maintaining relationships strengthens the sector as a whole by promoting the sharing of knowledge. For further information, visit
http://www.water2006.com/ or contact liz@eventsdivision.co.nz


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