Water is not only a natural resource that plays an important role in the health, social, and economic development of a country but is also closely linked to fundamental human rights (Yannopoulos et al., 2019). Rainwater harvesting is not a new phenomenon. Rainwater has been the source of water for domestic and agricultural use for generations. Today, rainwater harvesting has been embraced by both rural and urban folks. This presentation however attempts to outline the prospects and challenges in using rainwater harvesting to solve water stress in rural Ghana. Rainwater harvesting is advantageous in solving water stress in rural Ghana because it is cost-effective and useful for irrigation.
Rainwater harvesting is a term describing the concentration, collection, storage, and use of rainwater runoff for both domestic and agricultural purposes (Gould, 1999, cited in Mwenge Kahinda & Taigbenu, 2011). Techniques used in harvesting include In situ where farmlands especially receive direct downpour, Ex situ where rainwater is stored in a basin and later channelled for use, above ground tanks where rainwater is channelled into tanks, and underground tanks where rainwater is channelled into tanks buried in the ground.
Rainwater harvesting and management is a relatively cost-effective practice. In reality, to harvest, one must sow. Although there have been advancements over the years in the artificial inducement of rain, this is not the case with rainwater, especially for rural folks. This is especially true with the roof-top method and In situ. With the former, iron sheets are carved and positioned at the edges of the roofs to channel rainwater from the rooftop into containers for use. Roof-top rainwater harvesting is less vulnerable to contamination than with a ground or rock catchment (Owusu & Teye, 2015).
Again, rainwater is useful for irrigation purposes. Albeit agriculture in Ghana is almost entirely rain-fed and sophisticated irrigation systems are lacking in rural Ghana, practices such as channelling rainwater via channels created on farmlands to direct the water to various areas and the creation of dams to store rainwater is a very useful too in rural Ghana.
Notwithstanding the opportunities of rainwater harvesting, it is not without challenges including; unreliable rainfall patterns, rainwater quality, storage, and livestock intrusion.
The core problem of water supply for agricultural production is that natural precipitation does not always occur at the right place and or at the right time (Pathak & Laryea, 1990). Ghana on average experiences its highest precipitation in May and June. However, this trend has not been consistent over the past few years. There is too little precipitation when it is expected but when it does come it could be too much. Depending on rainwater harvesting to solve water stress in rural Ghana could therefore be unreliable.
Moreover, while rainwater is used predominantly for agricultural purposes in rural Ghana, it is also largely used for domestic purposes. This raises concerns about the quality of rainwater. Rainwater may not be particularly safe for drinking. Rainwater can wash different types of contaminants into storage units as atmospheric chemicals, bacteria, and parasites.
Also, even though rainwater harvesting is a relatively cost-effective method, especially for household consumption in rural Ghana, storing rainwater in large quantities for agricultural purposes and rural communities at large requires innovative ways of storage. Sometimes these innovative ways translate to the high upfront cost of acquiring these storage facilities or even constructing them. For instance, large storage tanks both above ground and underground, reservoirs and dams are expensive to acquire.
Again, another problem of using rainwater to solve water stress in rural Ghana has to do with the problem of livestock intrusion. This is particularly the case with rainwater water storage in open dams. These dams usually serve a whole community which means the actions and inactions of a few could impact the quality of the water. For instance, during water stress, herdsmen would lead their flock to drink from the same dam used for domestic use by other community folks. This phenomenon makes the water unsafe for use.
In conclusion, irrespective of fast development in all fields of science, there can be no substitute for water (Kolluru et al., 2015). Although rainfall is a function of seasonality, it could be a smart way of conserving water for use in times of water stress. This presentation elaborated on the prospects and challenges of using rainwater to solve water stress in rural Ghana. Prospects discussed include; cost-effectiveness especially for small household settings, and usefulness in irrigation, especially during the dry season. Some challenges with using rainwater harvesting to solve water stress in rural Ghana were also identified; unreliable rainfall patterns, rainwater quality, storage, and livestock intrusion.
References
Kolluru, H. K., Madduri, S., Review, A, Kumar, K. H., & Reddy, M. S. (2015). Prospects of Rain Water Harvesting, Management Strategies with Artificial Recharge and Water Shed Management Strategies in India : A Review Corrosion Inhibition using GFRP Laminates View project BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM IN BHOPAL CITY : A REVIEW View project Prospects of Rain Water Harvesting, Management Strategies with Artificial Recharge and Water Shed Management Strategies in India. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.5100.1686
Mwenge Kahinda, J., & Taigbenu, A. E. (2011). Rainwater harvesting in South Africa: Challenges and opportunities. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 36(14–15), 968–976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2011.08.011
Owusu, K., & Teye, J. K. (2015). International Journal of Water Resources Development Supplementing urban water supply with rainwater harvesting in Accra, Ghana. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 31(4), 630–639. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2014.927752
Pathak, P., & Laryea, K. B. (1990). Prospects of Water Harvesting ; lad its Utilization for Agriculture in the Semi-Arid Tropics.
Yannopoulos, S., Giannopoulou, I., & Kaiafa-Saropoulou, M. (2019). Investigation of the current situation and prospects for the development of rainwater harvesting as a tool to confront water scarcity worldwide. In Water (Switzerland) (Vol. 11, Issue 10). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11102168
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