The Contribution of Rainwater Harvesting to Disaster Risk

Reduction

IRHAInternational Environment House 2

Chemin de Balexert 7-91219 Geneva, Switzerland

Consultative Meeting on a “Global Network of NGOs”

UN-ISDR

Geneva 25-26 October 2006

Rainwater Harvesting is one of the most ancient activities in the history of mankind

Human beings have always sought to settle near water

Whether in dry or wet areas, they had to learn how to find and save water as it is a limited resource

Human beings learnt to meticulously harvest every raindrop

Build simple constructions to store the collected rain and use it rationally

Practicing Rainwater Harvesting is valuable under different disaster conditions

• In areas with heavy tropical rains and prone to floods

• In arid and semi-arid zones prone to droughts

•An appropriate rainwater management is necessary for the protection of the ecosystems

• The two « hazards » - flood and drought should be integrated into a wider risk management system

Use of Rainwater Harvesting

• for disaster reduction

• for rural development and food security

• for urban development and natural resources preservation

IRHA – The International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance consists of a network

of NGOs with members in different continents

IRHA Members’ Focus areas :

1. Household and productive uses;

2. Sanitation and hygiene;

3. Watershed management;

4. Food sovereignty and soil conservation;

5. Aquifer recharge and ecosystem conservation;

6. Disaster risk reduction and reconstruction.

RWH intoIWRM policy

IRHA Secretariat Activities:

A. Project Implementation;

B. Training and knowledge transfer;

C. Federating the RWH movement;

D. Positioning RWH in national and local political agendas.

IRHA Secretariat, Regional Focal Points and Activities in Different Continents

A Community Based Initiative: Rainwater Harvesting in the Municipality of San Antonio de Lomerio, Bolivia

Objectives:

• Reduce the vulnerability of the population towards the shortage of water by improving the infrastructure

• Capacity Building (Environmental Education and training of RWH managers)

Duration:

• September 2005 to October 2006

Funding Source:

• Service de Solidarité et de Coopération du Canton de Genève

Budget of the Project:

• 16’000 USD

Partners:• Green Cross International and American Peace Corps

Construction of Water Tanks

The goal is to construct 25 water tanks of 10m3 each

At the end of August 2006, 21 reservoirs had already been constructed

Capacity Building of 15 community members

Along with the construction of the water tanks, 15 community members were trained on how to construct them. In this case sustainability could be reached after the project was finalised. This also contributed to the empowerment of community members

Another result of that was to train 15 rainwater harvesting managers

Training Workshops

The resilience of community members was a result of:• Decreasing the number of skin and gastro-intestinal deseases;• Stressing the importance of hygiene to the health and well being of the population;• Focusing on the importance of environmental preservation;• Introducing the Swiss system of purification of water « SODIS »

All of these factors contributed to disaster risk reduction

Impact of RWH on Disaster Reduction:

• In the case of a drought, assured access to drinking water and enlarged possibilities for yielding crops;

• Avoids the danger of gastro-intestinal epidemies and diminishes child mortality because of improved hygiene;

• Assures water reserves for fire protection;

• In case it is practiced on a larger scale, it contributes to flood reduction;

• In post-disaster conditions, offers the only clean water;

• Benefits not only human beings but the environment in general.

Thank you for your attention

www.irha-h2o.org

Vessela Monta (Executive Director)

vessela@irha-h2o.org

Adelia Branco (Steering Committee Member)

adeliabranco@terra.com.br