RFWH Toolkit: RWH Overview

IN COOPERATION WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Omukalo wokuhakela omeva odula (RWH system)

Oitopolwa noilongifo yopautechnika yetungo lokuhakela omeva eni odula

• Eumbo (ile eumbo litwima) lina etala/onduda yoipeleki ile oilongifwa ikwao ihai piti omeva.

• Omikangha doku kwata omeva odula aukifwa ko tenka yopedu.

• Omunino wadja kotenga yopedu wayuka keetenga odo dili pombada.

• Omunino wadja ko tenka yopombada wauka koshikunino no koumunino vokutekela hava ndoda vauka koumungu.

• Eumbo litwima (ngee oshitopolwa shetungo; mwakwatelwa oumunino havandoda)

Eetenga dokuhakela omeva odula domomaumbo omEpyeshona

RFWH Toolkit: RWH Overview

2

Etungo lokuhakela omeva; taku longifwa omeva odula adja pombada yeumbo lokukala ovanhu (pom-bada) no pombada yeumbo litwima (pedu) alongifwe moshikunino

watersintegrated waterresources management

Rainwater Harvesting in Central-Northern Namibia

Factsheet

ChallengeNamibia is the driest country in southern Africa.The Cuvelai-Etosha Basin in central-northernNamibia is particularly affected: With about850,000 people, almost half the Namibian popu-lation is concentrated here. The region’s climateis characterized by a rainy season lasting fromOctober to March, with a mean annual rainfallof 470 mm and a dry season lasting from Aprilto September. The technology of rainwater har-vesting was introduced to make harvested rain-water available during the dry season too, thusmaking horticulture possible year round. Thechallenge of introducing rainwater harvesting inthe region was to successfully guide local novicefarmers through processes of group building andgovernance, as well as the development of tech-nical and management skills. Finally, the bene-fits and feasibility of private gardening and hor-ticulture had to be demonstrated within the localorganisational and institutional structures andimplemented with locally available constructionmaterials.

ApproachFacilities for rainwater harvesting have been pi-loted in the village of Epyeshona, near Oshakati,since 2009. During the short rainy season, rain-water is harvested on rooftops and concrete sur-faces and stored in tanks and ponds. The harvest-ed water is of fairly good quality and is mainlyintended for gardening purposes, but can also be

used for washing, cooking or watering livestock.Gardens were established next to the water stor-age facilities. Water-saving drip irrigation sys-tems are driven by a pedal or hip pump, depend-ing on the size of the irrigation area. As part ofcapacity development, the project provided train-ing and enabled local people from the village tobuild, operate and maintain the facilities. Fur-thermore, people have learned to cultivate andmanage gardens, and to make profits from thecrops. CuveWaters has tested two technical andorganisational options for rainwater harvesting:the household and the communal approach.

Rainwater harvesting facilities in the village of Epyeshona:household (top) and communal approach (bottom)

Up to 30 m³ of water are harvested from the roof of a single household and stored in above-surface tanks duringa normal rainy season. The water is used to irrigate a small garden or a small greenhouse (upper figure).

The communal approach comprises five households that work together. It consists of an underground tank, acovered pond, a greenhouse and an open garden area. The greenhouse and parts of the outside garden arejointly operated, meaning that the farmers share their work and their gain in equal measure (lower figure).

Additionally, farmers have their own plot in the communal approach, which can be used for self-consumption ormarket production of fruits and vegetables. Advantages of greenhouses are the prevention of evaporation, tem-perature control and the protection of plants from wind and pests.

The existing infrastructure in central-northernNamibia already offers good possibilities forharvesting rainwater, e. g. from the roofs ofpublic and private buildings.Cost-benefit and sustainability analysesshowed that on the household level, ferroce-ment tanks, and on the communal level,

greenhouses with ponds are the most appro-priate options.Nearly all materials for construction can beobtained from regional hardware shops.Tanks, greenhouses and irrigation systems canbe constructed by local staff supervised bytrained technicians.

Household and Communal Approach

Minor maintenance includes repairs of cracks, fences and of the drip irrigation system. Not included are costs for renovations of thestructures, such as necessary regular replacement (roughly every 5 years) of greenhouse roofs or drip lines. Due to various reasons,costs during pilot plant implementation are much higher compared to calculated investment costs during roll-out. Calculated roll-outcosts presume that materials for construction (initial investment and renovation) as well as for operation and maintenance are pur-chased in larger quantities and under optimal conditions. Calculations for roll-out show that costs can roughly be reduced by one quarter.The minor maintenance costs in both cases presume that good and regular maintenance work is carried out. N$ 1,000 ≈ € 77 (May 2015)

Type of costs Household approach Communal approach

Material costs for pilot plant

Calculated costsfor roll-out

Material costs for pilot plant

Calculated costsfor roll-out

Investments for constructionInfrastructure (tank 30 m³, gutters, downpipes)

Infrastructure (ground catchment, underground tank 120 m³,shade net covered pond 80 m³, gutters, downpipes)Garden (90 m²), drip irrigation systemGarden (750 m²), greenhouse (160 m²), drip irrigation system

N$ 12,000-18,000

N$ 2,700

N$ 9,000

N$ 2,000

N$ 110,000

N$ 40,000

N$ 82,000

N$ 30,000

Operation and minor maintenance (per year)Infrastructure (e.g. tanks, fences)Garden (drip irrigation system, seeds, fertilisers, pesticides)

N$ 100N$ 500

N$ 75N$ 375

N$ 1,000N$ 2,000

N$ 750N$ 1,500

Findings

ROOF CATCHMENT100 m2

RAINWATER TANK30 m3

PUMP ANDELEVATED TANK

GARDEN WITHDRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

150 m2

GROUNDCATCHMENT

640 m2UNDERGROUND

TANK120 m3

POND 80 m3

PUMP ANDELEVATED TANK

GARDEN WITHDRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

1,000 m2

GREENHOUSE WITHDRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM

160 m2

Building an underground tank for rainwater harvesting Harvest of green peppers at Epyeshona Green Village

BenefitsHarvesting and storing water mitigates the risksof climate change, mainly dry spells during therainy season, and allows almost continuous veg-etable crop production during the dry season.The diet and health situations of families haveimproved.Knowledge about construction, agriculture andirrigation has been further developed.Jobs have been created as further plants havebeen built by people trained during the project.Possible income for a household by sellingcrops is up to N$ 12,000 per year. Maintenance, gardening equipment, seeds etc.can be financed by the household and the com-munity, respectively.

Requirements and risksThe costs listed are material costs only. Addi-tional costs during implementation for: localworkers, construction management, tools, train-ing in horticulture and team management.Governmental financial support is needed forthe initial construction and later renovations ofstructures.Future rainwater harvesting projects must belinked to upcoming Namibian policies.Risk of project failing due to problems withinthe group, mismanagement, restricted financialresources or minor technical problems.

Starting pointDemand for additional water for local small-scale irrigation farmingSustained interest within the community tobuild and run rainwater harvesting tanks aswell as gardens/small-scale farms

Social and organisationalTraining in group management: binding rulesfor common tasks, working times, how to mar-ket the products, maintenanceCombination of different age groups of women& men to ensure continuityWomen taking the chance to earn their ownmoney and expand their skills, being supportedto take over full responsibilityCommunication with the local group membersin their native languageShort distances to homesteads and customers

Long-term guidance of the group during all activities for five years

TechnicalAssistance in accounting/bookkeeping andmarketing the productsStep-by-step farming training during at leastone growing period: Fertilisation, pest control,building fences and daily maintenanceTraining in long-term maintenance of tools andother facilities to avoid extensive repairsOutside technical support from agricultural andtechnical extension services to solve technicalproblems Additional water supply to ensure that gardensare maintained during very dry yearsSufficient soil qualityStrong fence to protect against animals (>1.5 m) Access to materials and spare parts in the region

Benefits and Risks

Success Factors for Implementation

For more information see www.cuvewaters.net

Published by: ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research Hamburger Allee 4560486 Frankfurt am Main/Germany

Authors: Alexander Jokisch, Oliver Schulz, Isaac Kariuki, Alexia Krug von Nidda, Jutta Deffner, Stefan Liehr, Wilhelm Urban

July 2015

NamibiaGeneral informationSophie KasheetaMinistry of Agriculture, Water & Forestry (MAWF)Directorate of Agricultural Production, Extension and Engineering Services Phone: +264 61 208 7477 E-mail: kasheetas@mawf.gov.na

Scientific accompanimentDr. Adedayo OgunmokunFaculty of Engineering and Information TechnologyUniversity of Namibia, OngwedivaPhone: +264 65 232 4005 E-mail: aogunmokun@unam.na

Implementation of projects in central-northern NamibiaOkashana Rural Development CentrePhone: +264 65 285 312 / 244 100Fax: +264 65 285 315E-mail: reservations@okashanardc.com

ConsultancyRainwater harvesting construction and horticulture trainingIsaac KariukiOWC – One World Consultants, KenyaPhone: +254 72 174 4096E-mail: oneworldcc2005@yahoo.com

GermanyGeneral information Dr. Nicola Schuldt-BaumgartISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological ResearchScience Communication and Public RelationsE-mail: schuldt-baumgart@isoe.de

Technical informationProf. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. nat. tech. Wilhelm Urban Technische Universität DarmstadtInstitut IWAR, Chair for Water Supply and Groundwater ProtectionE-mail: w.urban@iwar.tu-darmstadt.de

Contact

Rain- and Floodwater Harvesting Toolkit

Institute forSocial-Ecological

Research

For more detailed information, the project hasdeveloped the CuveWaters Rain- and FloodwaterHarvesting Toolkit. It is intended for organisa-tions and private persons interested in establish-ing rain- and floodwater harvesting projects andcontains detailed information on their imple-

mentation as well as construction manuals forall kinds of storage tanks and irrigation infra-structure. The CuveWaters Rain- and FloodwaterHarvesting Toolkit can be downloaded at:http://www.cuvewaters.net/Toolkits.112.0.html

www.cuvewaters.net

RFWH Toolkit: FWH Overview

IN COOPERATION WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Omukalo wokuhakelo omeva oshikungulu (FWH system)

Odula ile ehakelo lomeva oshikungulu?

Omukalo woku hakelaomeva oshikungulu otau wapalele meenhele odo dili moishana. Kakele nee komukalo wokuhakela omeva odula;

• Iho kala welikolelela modula yeni yopashitopolwa..

• Oho kala welikolelela momeva omo ishana oo mawana no ena ongushu.

• Iho kala wapumbwa onduda yauvikwa ile oshihakelo shomeva shokoshi yedu opo u ongele omeva.

Ashike oto dulu oku tula kumwe omikalo adishe ulongife omeva odula nomeva oshikungulu oku teke-lifa oshikunino.

Oitopolwa noilongifo yopautechnika yetungo lokuhakela omeva oshikungulu

• Opomba yokupomba oshoyoo omunino womeva adja moshana.

• Omunino wadja kopomba wauka ko tenga (ili pedu ile koshi yedu) ile wauka koshilambo (pond).

• Ominino dadja keetenga dopedu ile dokoshi yedu ile domoshilambo dau ka ko tenka ei yahe-luka po.

• Oshikunino.

• Eumbo litwima (ngee nalo oshitopolwa shetungo).

RFWH Toolkit: FWH Overview

2

Etungo lokuhakela omeva efundja mo Iipopo.

Etungo lokuhakela omeva efundja kwa wedwa ehakelo lomeva odula taa di pombada leumbo litwima.

watersintegrated waterresources management

Floodwater Harvesting in Central-Northern Namibia

Factsheet

ChallengeThe landscape of central-northern Namibia isshaped by a system of so-called Oshanas. Com-ing from southern Angola, these very shallowephemeral river streams branch far out into thecountryside and reach the Etosha Salt Pan dur-ing flood events. Water quality in the Osha nas isfairly good only during the rainy season. It dete-riorates rapidly during the dry season due toevaporation as well as pollution from humansand animals. To establish new gardens and irri-gate them during the dry season with Oshanafloodwater of appropriate quality, harvestingand storage techniques had to be introduced.Further challenges were to establish a new cul-ture of crop production and build up a reliablegroup of novice farmers. Local staff also neededto be trained in construction and maintenancework, locally available construction materialneeded to be found, and the new system had tobe implemented with local organisations and in-stitutions.

ApproachThe aim of floodwater harvesting is to storefloodwater in artificial closed ponds and tanksbuilt next to an Oshana. To this end, the Oshanawater is pumped into the storage reservoirs witha motor pump at the height of the rainy season,when the water quality is at its best. At the pilotplant in Iipopo, a water-saving drip irrigationsystem distributes the stored water to a green-

house and an open garden area. The greenhouseand parts of the outside garden are jointly oper-ated, meaning that the farmers share their workand revenues equally. Farmers also have theirown field which can be used for self-consump-tion or market production of fruits and vegeta-bles. Ten women from Iipopo and neighbouringvillages cultivate these gardens and the green-house for small-scale horticulture. All farmerswere trained in how to prepare the soil and plantthe seeds, how to supply the plants with fertil -iser, and how to use the water efficiently. To in-crease the water harvest, rainwater is collectedfrom the roofs of the ponds and the greenhouse(see Factsheet for Rainwater Harvesting in Cen-tral-Northern Namibia). Because the regionsometimes suffers from long periods of extremedrought, the pilot plant is also connected to thecentral pipeline system to bridge periods ofwater shortage.

Floodwater harvesting pilot plant at Iipopo next to an Oshana

The pilot plant for the storage of Oshana floodwater is a combination of different storage options (see figurebelow). It consists of an underground tank and two ponds, one with a shade net roof and one covered by corru-gated iron. The pilot plant has a total storage capacity of 400 m³. The water is intended to be used for irrigationpurposes in the greenhouse and in an open garden area. Market-ready vegetables can be grown inside thegreenhouse, since the plants are protected from direct sunlight, wind, and pests.

Floodwater harvesting is restricted to placesclose to the main Oshanas, since water avail-ability during the rainy season is more reliablehere than in the distributaries.Cost-benefit as well as sustainability analysesshowed that water ponds made of dam linerwith roofs made of shade net are recommendedmaterials for water storage.

The lower water quality compared to rainwaterharvesting does not seem to have a negative effect on the crops. Nearly all materials for construction can be ob-tained from regional hardware shops.Ponds, greenhouses and irrigation systems canbe constructed by local staff supervised bytrained technicians.

UNDERGROUND TANK(MADE OF CONCRETE BRICKS AND FERROCEMENT)

STORAGE VOLUME = 130 m³

ROOF(MADE OF CORRUGATED IRON SHEETS)

ROOF(MADE OF CONCRETE)

OSHANA

INLETWITH PUMP

RAISED TANK

POND(MADE OF PLASTIC DAM LINER)

STORAGE VOLUME = 135 m³ EACH

PUMP

GREENHOUSE

PUMP

ROOF(MADE OF SHADE NET)

(FOR DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEMS)

Communal Approach for Floodwater Harvesting

Due to various reasons, costs during pilot plant implementation are much higher compared to the calculated investment costs duringroll-out. Calculated roll-out costs presume that materials for construction (initial investment and renovation) as well as for operationand maintenance are purchased in larger quantities and under optimal conditions. Especially in case of roll-out, it has to be kept inmind that all infrastructural components are modular and other floodwater harvesting plants could also only be composed of shade netcovered ponds, which would also be the recommendation of the projects’ research. The minor maintenance costs in both cases pre-sume that good and regular maintenance (renovation) work is carried out. N$ 1,000 ≈ € 77 (May 2015)

Type of costs Material costs for the pilot plant

Calculated costs for roll-out (per plant)

Investments for constructionUnderground tank (130 m3)Shade net covered pond (135 m3) Corrugated iron covered pond (135 m3)Garden (1,000 m3), including drip irrigationGreenhouse (176 m2), including drip irrigation

N$ 42,000N$ 23,000N$ 31,000N$ 47,000N$ 43,000

N$ 32,000N$ 20,800N$ 24,500N$ 35,250N$ 30,000

Operation and minor maintenance (per year)Infrastructure (e.g. tanks, ponds, fences)Garden (drip irrigation system, seeds, fertilisers, pesticides)

N$ 1,500N$ 2,500

N$ 1,125N$ 1,875

Findings

Sour

ce: C

hris

toph

Tre

skat

is

Farmers from Iipopo Green Village seeding plants Harvest of carrots at Iipopo Green Village

BenefitsHarvesting and storing water mitigates the risksof climate change, mainly dry spells during therainy season, and allows almost continuous veg-etable crop production during the dry season.The diet and health situations of families haveimproved.Knowledge about agriculture and irrigation hasbeen further developed.Ten permanent jobs have been created, leadingto more self-confidence of the new farmers andto economic autonomy. Households have additional income from sellingcrops on the market.Maintenance, gardening equipment, seeds etc.can be financed by the group members.

Requirements and risksThe costs listed are material costs only. Addi-tional costs during implementation for: localworkers, construction management, tools, train-ing in horticulture and team management.Governmental financial support is needed forthe initial construction and later renovations ofstructures.Future rain- and floodwater harvesting projectsmust be linked to upcoming Namibian policies.Risk of project failing due to problems withinthe group, mismanagement, restricted financialresources or minor technical problems.

Starting pointDemand for additional water for local small-scale irrigation farmingSustained interest within the community tobuild and run floodwater harvesting tanks aswell as gardens/small-scale farms

Social and organisationalTraining in group management: binding rulesfor common tasks, working times, how to mar-ket the products, maintenanceCombination of different age groups of women& men to ensure continuityWomen taking the chance to earn their ownmoney and expand their skills, being supportedto take over full responsibilityCommunication with the local group membersin their native languageShort distances to homesteads and customers

Long-term guidance of the group during all activities for five years

TechnicalAssistance in accounting / bookkeeping and mar -keting the productsStep-by-step farming training during at leastone growing period: Fertilisation, pest control,building fences and daily maintenanceTraining in long-term maintenance of tools andother facilities to avoid extensive repairsOutside technical support from agricultural andtechnical extension services to solve technicalproblemsAdditional water supply to ensure that gardensare maintained during very dry yearsSufficient soil qualityStrong fence to protect against animals (>1.5 m)Access to materials and spare parts in the region

Benefits and Risks

Success Factors for Implementation

For more information see www.cuvewaters.net

NamibiaGeneral informationSophie KasheetaMinistry of Agriculture, Water & Forestry (MAWF)Directorate of Agricultural Production, Extension and Engineering Services Phone: +264 61 208 7477 E-mail: kasheetas@mawf.gov.na

Scientific accompanimentDr. Adedayo OgunmokunFaculty of Engineering and Information TechnologyUniversity of Namibia, OngwedivaPhone: +264 65 232 4005 E-mail: aogunmokun@unam.na

Implementation of projects in central-northern NamibiaOkashana Rural Development CentrePhone: +264 65 285 312 / 244 100Fax: +264 65 285 315E-mail: reservations@okashanardc.com

ConsultancyFloodwater harvesting construction and horticulture trainingIsaac KariukiOWC – One World Consultants, KenyaPhone: +254 72 174 4096E-mail: oneworldcc2005@yahoo.com

GermanyGeneral information Dr. Nicola Schuldt-BaumgartISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological ResearchScience Communication and Public RelationsE-mail: schuldt-baumgart@isoe.de

Technical informationProf. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. nat. tech. Wilhelm Urban Technische Universität DarmstadtInstitut IWAR, Chair for Water Supply and Groundwater ProtectionE-mail: w.urban@iwar.tu-darmstadt.de

Contact

Rain- and Floodwater Harvesting Toolkit

Institute forSocial-Ecological

Research

For more detailed information, the project hasdeveloped the CuveWaters Rain- and FloodwaterHarvesting Toolkit. It is intended for organisa-tions and private persons interested in establish-ing rain- and floodwater harvesting projects andcontains detailed information on their imple-

mentation as well as construction manuals forall kinds of storage tanks and irrigation infra-structure. The CuveWaters Rain- and FloodwaterHarvesting Toolkit can be downloaded at:http://www.cuvewaters.net/Toolkits.112.0.html

www.cuvewaters.net

Published by: ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research Hamburger Allee 4560486 Frankfurt am Main/Germany

Authors: Alexander Jokisch, Oliver Schulz, Isaac Kariuki, Alexia Krug von Nidda, Jutta Deffner, Stefan Liehr, Wilhelm Urban

July 2015

RFWH Toolkit: internet links general

IN COOPERATION WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Rainwater Harvesting for irrigation in Africa and beyond Useful internet links and tips for further information and re-search Tanks constructed within the CuveWaters project are just examples of how rainwater can be harvest-ed. All over the world people are harvesting rainwater with different technologies and different mate-rials for tank construction. The following list is intended to help you finding further information on the technology of rainwater harvesting and on small scale gardening and irrigation. http://www.cuvewaters.net

Homepage of the CuveWaters project with several information materials and videos linked to rainwater harvesting in Namibia

http://www.rainfoundation.org/

The Rainfoundation offers information and contacts on rainwater harvesting all around the world. http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/

Information on rainwater harvesting with a focus on Asia http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/civil/dtu/rwh/

Several manuals on technological aspects of rainwater harvesting provided by the Development Technology Unit of the University of Warwick

http://www.rain4food.net/

Several useful information on rainwater harvesting for food production http://www.mvula.co.za/

The Mvula Trust is one of South Africa’s biggest NGOs active in the field of rainwater harvesting

RFWH Toolkit: internet links weather forecast

IN COOPERATION WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Rainwater Harvesting in Namibia Useful internet links for weather forecasts and rainfall amounts in Namibia Rainfall in Namibia is highly unpredictable and erratic. To plan irrigation and planting schedules it is very helpful to use weather and rainfall forecasts. For Namibia you will find information on that on two homepages: http://www.meteona.com/ The homepage of the Namibia Meteorological Service, updated irregular but with long term forecasts and historic weather maps http://www.namibiaweather.info/ The homepage of the Namibia Weather Network, with always up to date weather (especially rain-) forecasts and satellite pictures