Rainwater Harvesting for Eradicating Drought

Courtesy of Supreme Master Television

From time immemorial, the earth has grown in the bosom of God to become the loving home of a vast and fascinating array of beings throughout the ages, including microscopic bacteria and algae, prehistoric dinosaurs, birds of the sky, whales, and creatures of the ocean, and of course, humans. Our planet is covered in vast expanses of open blue oceans, gigantic snow-covered mountains reaching into the skies, arid, yet life-sustaining deserts, and wondrous rainforests filled with beautiful flora and fauna.

As a complex system of life, sustained by the universal vibration that exists behind all things, the earth has evolved into a beautiful wonderland.

We present this show, "Planet Earth: Our Loving Home,” as a tribute and thanks to our beautiful planet, Earth. May these words touch your soul and remind us all to cherish Mother Earth and help to care for her precious resources. Each and every one of us can make a difference in preserving our environment and the planet. United, we can help to heal the world.

Rain is a gift from the heavens, falling from the sky onto the land to become one of the most important elements to the life of this planet. Without it, we would be unable to survive. To many, water is taken for granted, as we turn on our taps to what seems to be a never ending supply. Yet others are not so fortunate and some do not even have enough for survival.

In Kenya for example, fifty per cent of the population has no access to a safe or adequate supply of water and women spend several hours each day collecting water from distant dams, sharing the water source with animals that drink from it and contaminate it. Kenya is not the only country with this problem. It exists in many parts of the world, especially Africa and India.

Rainwater harvesting, which is the collection and storage of rain from roofs or from a surface catchment for future use, can provide a solution to this problem.

The United Nations released a report last month indicating that rainwater harvesting could provide the key to eradicating drought across 1/3 of the continent of Africa.   Many countries that are highly susceptible to drought, famine, and starvation, such as Ethiopia and Kenya, are estimated to be capable of harvesting enough rainwater to meet the needs of populations between six and seven  times the size of their current populations.  The viability of such programs can be demonstrated by a successful US Agency for International Development-funded rainwater harvesting program in Marwar, a highly populated but arid region of India.   Prior to the program, the groundwater had dropped as much as 400 feet in some regions. Arid conditions caused starvation of cattle and many people needed to leave.   Today, rainwater harvesting has translated into ample water availability in 200 villages.   Communities have also become self-reliant again, and economic crop production has increased 300%. 

Rainwater harvesting can also be used in urban areas and can have manifold purposes—to provide supplemental water for the city's requirement; to increase soil moisture levels for urban greenery; to increase the ground water table through artificial recharge; to mitigate urban flooding; and to improve the quality of groundwater. In urban areas of the developed world, at a household level, harvested rainwater can be used for flushing toilets and washing laundry. Indeed, in hard water areas, it is often superior to mains waters and also can be used for showering or bathing, although it may require treatment prior to use for drinking.

Two residences in the city of Toronto, Canada, use treated, harvested rainwater for drinking water and reuse water -- or treated wastewater -- for all other household water applications including toilet flushing, bathing, showers, laundry, and garden irrigation . The Toronto Healthy House is one of these residences.

In New Zealand and Australia, away from the larger towns and cities where access to dams and bores may be a problem, many houses routinely rely on rainwater collected from roofs as the only source of water for all household activities. To preserve the water in dams, some councils in Australia’s main cities are even making rainwater tanks compulsory on all newly constructed dwellings.

Some uses for collected water include:

    * drinking;

    * food preparation and cooking;

    * personal hygiene;

    * washing clothes and cleaning;

    * washing pots, pans and other utensils;

    * watering gardens;

    * water for washing animals;

    * and water for construction, such as repairing mud walls.

In most areas, properly designed household roof catchment systems normally can meet domestic demand for essential purposes.

Every rainwater catchment system consists of three main components:

* a catchment surface where the rainwater runoff is collected;
* a storage reservoir where the rainwater is stored until required;
* and a delivery system for transporting the water from the catchment system to the storage reservoir, for example, gutters and drains.

The actual amount of rainwater that can be supplied depends upon the amount and distribution of rainfall, the size of existing or affordable catchment surfaces, and the volume of the storage tank.

Roofs provide the most common and least expensive means of harvesting rainfall. Corrugated iron, plastic, or tiles are all good surfaces for rainwater catchment. But tightly thatched roofs made from coconut palms or other natural materials also may be suitable.

There are many ways to construct a household rainwater tank. The key features of any tank are that it should be watertight, durable, affordable, and not contaminate the water in any way. The most appropriate choice of tank will depend on local conditions and the availability of local materials as this will directly affect the cost.

There are a number of key requirements common to all effective tank designs. These include:

    * a functional and water-tight design;

    * a solid, secure cover to keep out insects, dirt, and sunshine;

    * a screened inlet filter;

    * a screened overflow pipe;

    * a manhole (and ideally a ladder) to allow access for cleaning;

    * an extraction system that does not contaminate the water, e.g. a tap or pump;

    * a soakaway to prevent spilt water forming puddles near the tank;

    * and a maximum height of 2 metres to prevent high water pressures, unless additional reinforcement is used in the walls and foundations.

When constructing the tank, the site needs to be free of anthills, latrines, waste pits, and tree stumps to ensure that a solid foundation can be built for the tank. Once a suitable site has been found, a circle is drawn on the ground with a radius 15cm longer than the external radius of the tank. The foundation must be sealed with concrete within 24 hours or there is a danger of leaks and cracks. The tank walls should be round as these are stronger than rectangular walls. Bricks, blocks, galvanized steel, concrete, or ferro cement can all be used to build the tank walls. It is essential to cover the tank with a roof to prevent evaporation and stop the water from becoming dirty.

Apart from actually catching all available water, another method that can be employed to further preserve water is the burying of unglazed pots around plants and trees. Once the pots are buried in suitable locations, they are filled with water and covered. The pots slowly release the water into the soil around the area of the plants’ roots, and because the water is released slowly, the plants are able to absorb it at a suitable rate. This minimizes the amount of water that evaporates into the atmosphere.

Other methods such as drilling wells also can be useful. As an example, in April, Supreme Master Ching Hai was concerned about the water situation in Kenya.  She sent our Association members to Kenya, where they contracted a local well-drilling company to help resolve the water problem. A site was selected in a valley near Kanguando. The well-drilling company estimated from experience that the project would require at least two months to complete. However, water was tapped at 108 meters (355 feet) in a shorter time than previously estimated. The completed well was opened for use on July 31, 2006, and brought relief to drought conditions in the mountain village of Kanguando. Now, the locals intend to start planting food and trees so they can become self-supporting.

There are many other methods for preserving water, and we have presented you with a small glimpse of what is possible with a little imagination and know-how.If each of the households try to conserve water in someway, it will help our planet to remain green and healthy!

Thank you for joining us on this edition of “Planet Earth: Our Loving Home".  Join us on Supreme Master Television every Wednesday for this new show. Tomorrow, remember to tune in to SMTV for the new show: Good People, Good Works, featuring former US President Jimmy Carter and his work with Habitat for Humanity. 

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