It’s a blame game over failure of water harvesting initiative

Rwandans shelter from the rain in Kigali. Besides loss through rainwater runoff, much of the stored water gets lost in inefficient supply and irrigation systems. PHOTO | DANIEL SABIITI 

By Johnson Kanamugire

In Summary

• Rwanda loses plenty of rain water to run-offs and evaporation with official figures showing only two per cent is put to proper use. This is despite the huge water supply gap due to population growth and increasing demand for agricultural and industrial use.
• Households have for long cited the huge upfront capital costs as a barrier to putting up rainwater harvesting systems. Available tanks in the market cost between Rwf410,000 for a 5,000-litre tank and Rwf810,000 for a 10,000-litre tank.
• According to experts, there is a need to carry out extensive research and identify appropriate and affordable technologies for efficient rainwater management.

The public and Rwandan government officials are blaming each other over the failure of adoption of rain harvesting as a means of mitigating against chronic water shortage.

Officials have accused house owners of not installing water harvesting facilities but the latter say the initial capital costs are too high.

Officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources said many of the objections are based on a negative attitude towards change rather than financial constraints.

“The main problem we have is about attitude. You can’t explain how people can afford to build a house but fail to buy or construct a water harvesting tank,” said Vincent de Paul Kabalisa, the head of Integrated Water Resources Department at the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority.

Rwanda loses plenty of rain water to run-offs and evaporation with official figures showing only two per cent is put to proper use. This is despite the huge water supply gap due to population growth and increasing demand for agricultural and industrial use.

Mr Kabalisa said there is was a need for increased awareness especially after the recent decision to have rain water harvesting as one of the requisites for getting a construction permit for buildings in cities.

Officials from the Disaster Management Ministry said risks of runoffs due to poorly managed rainwater in expanding residential areas are proving costly due to damage caused whenever heavy rains occur.

Three people died last week in floods that also caused extensive damage to property such as houses, public infrastructure as well as crops following heavy downpour.

“The houses were vulnerable because rain water accumulates when there is neither a harvesting system nor drainage channels in place. Rain water management and inappropriate housing are urgent problems,” said Alphonse Hishamunda, the deputy director-general for risk reduction and disaster preparedness at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs.

Households have for long cited the huge upfront capital costs as a barrier to putting up rainwater harvesting systems. Available tanks in the market cost between Rwf410,000 for a 5,000-litre tank and Rwf810,000 for a 10,000-litre tank.

READ: Kigali residents decry cost of water harvesting tanks

However, the market is dominated by two players and lacks affordable alternative water harvesting technologies.

Only the residents of Kigali City, Rubavu and Nyabihu districts were given the option of buying the rainwater harvesting systems at subsidised rates and given the option of paying in installments under a government-backed loan scheme. This scheme is yet to be extended countrywide.

It is estimated that besides loss through rain water runoff, much of the stored amount gets lost in inefficient supply and irrigation systems as well as evaporation.

According to experts, there is a need to carry out extensive research and identify appropriate and affordable technologies for efficient rainwater management.“There is a need to address the issue of affordability if the low uptake is to be dealt with successful and private operators need to be involved in solving this issue,” said Maurice Kwizera, country director for Water Aid Rwanda, which is promoting the use of underground rainwater harvesting tanks in Eastern Province.