Harvest Rainwater, Prevent Poverty and Disease
By Nicole DeSantis - November 9, 2007
Climate change is dramatically affecting weather patterns and rainfall, and is a special concern for Africa, a continent which has limited economical resources to combat the severe effects of climate change. The continent of Africa is experiencing acute environmental conditions ranging from droughts to severe flooding. Droughts that oppress agricultural growth and flooding that devastate crops and homes are destroying the opportunity for the people of Africa to stabilize their resources for food and health.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is concerned with the impact of Climate Change on Africa; the continent that contributes the least greenhouse gas emissions in the world yet will experience much of the environmental degradation. In addition, with rising population and diminishing resources, “African countries will exceed the limits of their “economically usable, land-based water resources before 2025” Africa’s people now face a serious hazard to health and development because of diminishing access to clean water. The International Institute for Justice and Development (IIJD) sees Health as a Human Right. IIJD’s rights-based approach to health reflects our commitment and principles to respect for the dignity and worth of each person and the universality of human rights. IIJD’s approach is based on the belief and experience that development is effective, equitable, and sustainable when designed to ensure the realization of human rights. Health cannot substantially improve in a community unless there is adequate and equitable access to clean drinking water and sanitation services.
Countries throughout Africa experience unnecessary suffering and loss due to limited freshwater, especially in rural areas where freshwater is scarce and often far from home. Burkina Faso is a land-locked and drought-prone country in West Africa. It is one of the smaller countries in Africa with a large population of over 12 million. Due to low standards of living and extreme poverty, Burkina Faso is ranked 174 of 177 in the human development index. Currently in Burkina Faso “there are few schools, health facilities and public services - especially in rural areas. Just over half of the population has access to clean water, while less than 15% have access to sanitation”. These alarming figures represent the overwhelming need for an innovative system to conserve water that can be purified and stored. Rainwater Harvesting offers an affordable, community manageable solution to the monumental need for clean water for basic human survival.
The International Institute for Justice and Development (IIJD) believes that water contamination and inaccessibility are two prominent environmental, social, and economic concerns in Africa that require immediate solutions. Addressing water contamination and consumption is also tackling its role as an underlying factor and contributor to poverty and disease.
Clean water is a vital resource that has been depleting due to population growth, diminishing water resources and rising agricultural consumption. Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) provides a solution to these environmental concerns because it supplies access to clean water and sanitation and can be used in individual homes, community centres such as schools and health facilities, as well as for agricultural use. RWH offers many benefits for basic human needs and progress, the three that the IIJD believes to be the most crucial for reducing poverty and disease are: access to safe drinking water for people in both rural and urban settings, implementing rainwater harvesting systems through community building, management and leadership, and offering individuals, especially women and children, the opportunity to use the time spent on retrieving water for the household to pursue other endeavours such as school or employment. Locating water in Burkina Faso that can be used for drinking and domestic use is a constant challenge that requires hours of hard work. “"If you don't have enough water to grow food, then the community suffers from hunger and malnutrition," explained Fatoumata Batta, West Africa area representative. “Also, some villages do not have access to clean drinking water. Water may also be far away, and women, who traditionally are responsible for fetching water, may have to spend hours each day walking to and from the source. This means that they cannot spend time doing other tasks, such as working in their fields or pursuing income generating activities." The time spent finding water wastes the opportunity for women, and especially young girls, to pursue other endeavours that foster social and economic development.
Rainwater Harvesting throughout the rural parts of countries in Africa offers a progressive solution to water conservation and consumption. The harvesting of rainwater can be broken down into a three process system: catchment, filtration, and storage. The catchment is the area is the space on the roof that water hits. This includes the overhang and the gutters. The gutters organize the flow of water caught by the roof, and direct it into a downspout, where it is filtered like a kitchen sink drain and then finally stored in a barrel, or any other collection recipient. All of these elements make up the rainwater catchment system, area, gutters, and downspout and reservoir recipient. The stored water is then available for a variety of daily domestic, sanitary and agricultural needs. The three part system for collecting and preserving rainwater can be modified to use local resources and can be as simple as collecting and storing water in basins that are covered and protected from contaminants such as animal use and waste.
The depletion of freshwater affects human, wildlife, and agricultural progress and health. The IIJD believes that there can be only limited sustainable development if people, wildlife and agriculture continue to suffer due to lack of freshwater. A solution that is sustainable and resourceful is necessary to provide the rural areas of African countries, such as Burkina Faso, with clean water. At the launch for the International Year of Freshwater in 2003, the United Nations stated that “1.2 billion people are without access to fresh water and 2.4 billion lack proper sanitation. More than 3 million die each year from diseases caused by unsafe water”. These alarming figures represent the overwhelming need for clean water, not only for human consumption but as an essential tool in preventing poverty and disease and promoting community development.
The IIJD believes that funding the construction of affordable rainwater harvesting cisterns can increase access to a safe water source and adequate sanitation for poor people in rural and urban areas. This construction is more effective when integrated with hygiene education, and when it involves health workers, health authorities, and schools as reinforcing actors.
Access to freshwater is directly linked to development, health and ultimately a sense of peace and security. “Satisfying the water needs of people, livestock and crops will be difficult, given that water capacities are weak,” states NAPA. Countering the adverse impacts of climate change, it adds, will need the involvement of all national actors -- from government to local communities -- and adequate assistance from the international community”. The participation of government, and especially local communities, local non-governmental organizations, and small enterprises is essential for promoting positive change. Such participatory approaches have ongoing, permanent benefits—projects can mobilize communities, improve human health, lighten women's and girls' time burden in water chores, build community capacity, increase incomes, and improve environmental practices.