Rainwater Harvesting
In 2006 Dams for Africa was commissioned by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry to build six experimental rainwater harvesting reservoirs in Limpopo Province, of the type in picture above. The reservoirs each have a storage capacity of 30000 litres and are substantially below ground, so that rainwater that runs off the ground can be channeled towards the respective collection pits and on into the reservoirs. Intended as a poverty alleviation exercise for the poorest in the community, the reservoirs were all built on individual homesteads, so that the recipient families would have a sense of ownership, and take full responsibility for deciding what vegetables to plant, fertilize with manure/compost, take pest control measure, and above all irrigate with water from their reservoir.
At about the same time a team of consultants were assembled to devise 'Program guidelines for intensive family food production and rain water harvesting' on behalf of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The ultimate aim of the program was to identify and eradicate extreme poverty at household level, by teaching households how to do intensive gardening, and by providing a 30000 litre below-ground rain water harvesting reservoir on their residences to ensure the production of food even in the dry months. The document makes provision for (a) intensive gardening best practice methodologies, (b) facilitation methodologies with communities, tribal authorities, local & provincial governmental departments, locally active NGOs, etc, (c) project implementation controls and guidelines for large scale roll out (d) a section on RWH dam construction, including specifications, drawings, a bill of quantities, a step-by-step construction manual etc. (Dams for Africa was tasked with (d)).
It is believed that these guidelines can be universally applied by any country that wants to provide the means for destitute households to sustain themselves including the dry months of the year.
In 2009 Dr Nicholas Papenfus presented two papers (paper 1 & paper 2) at an international Rain Water Harvesting conference (SEARNET) in Livingston (Zimbabwe), and another two papers (paper 1 & paper 2) in 2011 at another SEARNET conference held in White River, South Africa.
If you know of a community in need & have access to funding but need assistance with design/construction, please see 'OUR CONTACT DETAILS' page.
At about the same time a team of consultants were assembled to devise 'Program guidelines for intensive family food production and rain water harvesting' on behalf of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The ultimate aim of the program was to identify and eradicate extreme poverty at household level, by teaching households how to do intensive gardening, and by providing a 30000 litre below-ground rain water harvesting reservoir on their residences to ensure the production of food even in the dry months. The document makes provision for (a) intensive gardening best practice methodologies, (b) facilitation methodologies with communities, tribal authorities, local & provincial governmental departments, locally active NGOs, etc, (c) project implementation controls and guidelines for large scale roll out (d) a section on RWH dam construction, including specifications, drawings, a bill of quantities, a step-by-step construction manual etc. (Dams for Africa was tasked with (d)).
It is believed that these guidelines can be universally applied by any country that wants to provide the means for destitute households to sustain themselves including the dry months of the year.
In 2009 Dr Nicholas Papenfus presented two papers (paper 1 & paper 2) at an international Rain Water Harvesting conference (SEARNET) in Livingston (Zimbabwe), and another two papers (paper 1 & paper 2) in 2011 at another SEARNET conference held in White River, South Africa.
If you know of a community in need & have access to funding but need assistance with design/construction, please see 'OUR CONTACT DETAILS' page.