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June 15th, 2008
07:03 pm - You call this a water catchment?
When in south central Somalia, I saw this water catchment which was dug as part of a Cash-For-Work programme with the NGO I am working for. As you can see, it is completely ineffective as a water catchment.
Because it is so wide and shallow, there is a lot of infiltration (water seeping into the ground) and evaporation (water evaporating from the surface). The result? The water only lasted one month. Yet, it is meant to provide water through the dry season.
I asked the NGO staff why they chose this design, which was too wide and shallow. Furthermore, it has steep sides. They said this was the design the beneficiaries wanted. No shit. Of course they would want to only dig the top 1 m of soil, given that it would be the easiest part to dig. There was also mention that they wanted something shallow so that if a child falls in, he or she can still stand. This is not a valid reason given that a toddler can drown in 20 cm of water. And besides, if this was the valid concern, then surely the sides should be sloping?
Needless to say, I'm going to change the design.
Current Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/smileys/blah.gif) disappointed
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Comments:
Has anyone tried making cement jars for water collection - the really huge ones. They use them all over Thailand and in some places in Laos - they drain water off roofs via gutters, collecting enough water during the rainy season to last several houses through the driest part of the dry season. They just have to be kept covered when it's not raining, to prevent mosquitoes breeding in the water.
Hmmm... don't know if that's been tried, though my initial instinct would be to say that I don't think that the volume would be large enough for livestock. Water catchments like these are primarily meant to be for livestock, and not human consumption. Also, don't think mud huts lend themselves well to guttering. :(
Will have to talk to the Watsan people.
from Nais out houses to Somali catch basins...is there ANYTHING Vasco can't do??
I don't think so.
I think I've just been mocked...
never.
that was not my mocking typeface. That was my REALLY REALLY impressed typeface.
What are the possibilities of a drilled well like what happened in Kandahar?
I never heard the result of that mission.
Boreholes are hellishly expensive. Maybe USD40,000 or more, depending on where, etc. And the problem is where to locate it. And in a rural context where there is clan conflict, it's a tough decision to make.
And don't know what happened in Kandahar. I only wrote the proposal then buggered off. :)
$40K USD for a bore hole? crikey.
But the problem is always afterwards...who's going to MAINTAIN it?
Did you hear what the Talibs did in Kandahar this weekend? Blew a hole in a prison and freed almost 1,000 of thier buddies!
crikey.
My thoughts exactly.
But the problem is always afterwards...who's going to MAINTAIN it?
Precisely.
Okay, this is what I said to Haji:
Indeed. And maintenance is a problem particularly if the boreholes use pumps. Not so bad if they are the ones connected to wide-gauge well and need no pumps.
Indeed. And maintenance is a problem particularly if the boreholes use pumps. Not so bad if they are the ones connected to wide-gauge well and need no pumps.
And no, hadn't heard that about Kandahar. You there or in Bagram?
Bagram.
Tashakoor.
Where do I send this Bhurka I have aquired?
| From: | (Anonymous) |
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| Date: | June 16th, 2008 04:50 am (UTC) |
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One donor from the Gulf--can't remember the name--LOVES boreholes and funds many of them. They funded a huge number in Pakistan after the earthquake. We were laughing about that at work recently.
Once I upload my photos, I'll send you some of the watch catchments near Hargeisa if you need ideas. M
Would love to see other water catchments, so that would be great!
(and dinner on Saturday was great... would love to do it again!)
Assuming there's water to catch of course....
I was thinking about this last night at work. Won't bore you (hehe) with my meandering brain noise, but will ask one question. Is something like the water tank used at the Katine school an option? Story here.
Probably not, because the water catchments are primarily for watering livestock. And livestock take a large amount of water...imagine something like 20 L per animal per day (I'm not sure exact amount... I'm not a Livestock specialist) and a herd of several hundred livestock. So it's too large an amount of water to be served by any tank device. But tanks are good for household water though. |
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