Time to intensify rainwater harvesting
As the nation rejoices at the sight of dams and rivers spilling due to incessant rains we received this season, the spectacle could soon be a sore reminder of a golden chance missed to ensure people have adequate water after the rainy season.
From Mbembesi, which cuts across Umguza, bubi and Lupane districts, bubi which feeds bubi-Lupane Dam, shangani which flows from Matabeleland south into Matabeleland North, as well as Umguza, Gwayi and several other streams to Masvingo’s Tugwi-Mukosi, the largest inland dam in the country, the story of spilling rivers and dams has been the same throughout all provinces.
However, this could soon come to naught after the rainy season as the water is flowing into the indian Ocean unharnessed as most rivers are not dammed, with a few streams having small silted weirs.
Water shortages could soon haunt people and livestock as rivers and dams dry as we await the next rain season.
in Matabeleland, the perennial water shortages should have jolted the Zimbabwe National Water authority to employ water-harvesting techniques, but we have instead seen Zinwa announcing inflows into the dams as if the authority doesn’t know that rainwater is a resource that can be harnessed and stored for future use.
by its very simple definition, rainwater harvesting refers to the trapping and storing of rainwater so that it can be used later when the need arises. There is no doubt water will be needed for livestock and humans throughout the year and even in the most dry parts of the country that are wet right now.
it’s a shame the country’s agricultural sector still largely relies on rainwater instead of harvesting the water to irrigate winter crops. This is often more profitable for our farmers and easier to manage instead of rainwater that comes with hailstorms and waterlogging.
We can appreciate the capital needed for huge dams is a bit steep, but smaller dams and rehabilitation of such can be done across the country on a reasonable budget.
The tragedy is that individuals are also complaining each day about the poor drainage system in towns and cities instead of coming up with simple solutions to water harvesting.
it is surprising that residents of major cities and towns still queue at community boreholes, even for cleaning water, instead of harvesting water from their rooftops.
We have had previous projects that use very simple methods to harness water from rooftops into tanks in residential areas and the same can be replicated across the country.
This method of rainwater harvesting is, in our view, the best for residential use because rainwater is free from many chemicals found in groundwater and that makes it arguably the most suitable for human consumption and or irrigation.
it is not too late for authorities to turn the corner and start meaningful rainwater harvesting in order to improve people’s livelihoods.