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Rainwater Harvesting: An Alternative to Safe Water Supply in Nigerian Rural Communities

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  • H. Ishaku
  • M. Majid
  • Foziah Johar

Abstract

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is an economical small-scale technology that has the potential to augment safe water supply with least disturbance to the environment, especially in the drier regions. In Nigeria, less than half of the population has reasonable access to reliable water supply. This study in northeastern Nigeria determined the rate of water consumption and current water sources before estimating the amount of rainwater that can potentially be harvested. A survey on 200 households in four villages namely, Gayama, Akate, Sidi and Sabongari established that more than half of them rely on sources that are susceptible to drought, i.e. shallow hand-dug wells and natural water bodies, while only 3% harvest rainwater. Taraba and Gombe states where the villages are located have a mean annual rainfall of 1,064 mm and 915 mm respectively. Annual RWH potential per household was estimated to be 63.35 m 3 for Taraba state and 54.47 m 3 for Gombe state. The amount could meet the water demand for the village of Gayama although the other three villages would have to supplement their rainwater with other sources. There is therefore sufficient rainwater to supplement the need of the rural communities if the existing mechanism and low involvement of the villagers in RWH activities could be improved. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Suggested Citation

  • H. Ishaku & M. Majid & Foziah Johar, 2012. "Rainwater Harvesting: An Alternative to Safe Water Supply in Nigerian Rural Communities," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(2), pages 295-305, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:waterr:v:26:y:2012:i:2:p:295-305
    DOI: 10.1007/s11269-011-9918-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. S. I. Efe, 2006. "Quality of rainwater harvesting for rural communities of Delta State, Nigeria," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 175-181, September.
    2. Olanike Aladenola & Omotayo Adeboye, 2010. "Assessing the Potential for Rainwater Harvesting," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 24(10), pages 2129-2137, August.
    3. Berthelot, P. B. & Robertson, C. A., 1990. "A comparative study of the financial and economic viability of drip and overhead irrigation of sugarcane in Mauritius," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 17(1-3), pages 307-315, January.
    4. David Baguma & Willibald Loiskandl & Helmut Jung, 2010. "Water Management, Rainwater Harvesting and Predictive Variables in Rural Households," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 24(13), pages 3333-3348, October.
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    1. Khamis Naba Sayl & Nur Shazwani Muhammad & Zaher Mundher Yaseen & Ahmed El-shafie, 2016. "Estimation the Physical Variables of Rainwater Harvesting System Using Integrated GIS-Based Remote Sensing Approach," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(9), pages 3299-3313, July.
    2. Chidozie Nnaji & Nnennaya Mama, 2014. "Preliminary Assessment of Rainwater Harvesting Potential in Nigeria: Focus on Flood Mitigation and Domestic Water Supply," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 28(7), pages 1907-1920, May.
    3. Enedir Ghisi & Pedro Schondermark, 2013. "Investment Feasibility Analysis of Rainwater Use in Residences," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(7), pages 2555-2576, May.
    4. R. D. G. Rodriguez & F. F. Pruski & V. P. Singh, 2016. "Estimated Per Capita Water Usage Associated with Different Levels of Water Scarcity Risk in Arid and Semiarid Regions," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(4), pages 1311-1324, March.
    5. Uende Gomes & Léo Heller & João Pena, 2012. "A National Program for Large Scale Rainwater Harvesting: An Individual or Public Responsibility?," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(9), pages 2703-2714, July.
    6. R. Rodriguez & F. Pruski & V. Singh, 2016. "Estimated Per Capita Water Usage Associated with Different Levels of Water Scarcity Risk in Arid and Semiarid Regions," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(4), pages 1311-1324, March.

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