Water harvesting as an alternative source of water in semi-arid areas of less developed nations
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Date
1990
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of New Brunswick
Abstract
C o n v e n t i o n a l water s u p p l y systems are very expensive to
d e v e l o p in s e m i - a r i d a r e a s . The l e s s developed n a t i o n s can
h a r d l y a f f o r d to c o n s t r u c t expensive schemes as massive
amounts of c a p i t a l and s u b s t a n t i a l t e c h n o l o g i c a l e x p e r t i se
i s r e q u i r e d f o r t h e i r c o n s t r u c t i o n . As a consequence,
n a t i o n s are f o r c e d to look f o r cheaper water supply systems.
I n s e m i - a r i d a r e a s , t h e r e are c h r o n i c water s h o r t a g e s . The
s h o r t a g e s are b r o u g h t about by uneven r a i n f a l l d i s t r i b u t i o n.
R a i n f a l l can be h a r v e s t e d by labour i n t e n s i v e methods which
need l i t t l e e x p e r t i s e and c a p i t a l.
The water h a r v e s t i n g systems which can be employed f or
h a r v e s t i n g or t a p p i n g r a i n f a l l i n v o l v e the c o l l e c t i o n of
water from:
i> n a t u r a l watersheds and s t o r i n g i t i n " s u r b s u r f a ce
dams."
i i > compacted road s u r f a c e s and s t o r i n g i t i n s u r f a c e ponds
or r e s e r v o i r s.
i i i ) rock s u r f a c e s (where a p p l i c a b l e ) and s t o r i n g i t i n open
p l a s t e r e d water t a n k s , and
i v ) c o r r u g a t e d s t e e l or t i l e d house r o o f s u r f a c e s and
s t o r i n g i t i n c l o s e d water t a n k s.
The above water h a r v e s t i n g systems can be used s i n g l y or i n
c o m b i n a t i o n depending on t h e i n t e n d e d water uses.
T h i s r e p o r t c o n s i d e r s the a d v a n t a g e s and d i s a d v a n t a g e s of
each o f t h e s e systems when a p p l i e d i n a s e m i - a r i d r e g i o n of
Kenya. Approximate costs a s s o c i a t e d w i t h each method a re
e v a l u a t e d f o r e a c h o f t h e m a j o r water h a r v e s t i n g systems f o r
a s p e c i f i e d p o p u l a t i o n o f human b e i n g s and a n i m a l s.