A
three-member team from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) visited Kenya
between August 25 and
September 2, 2003with
the objective of broadening the prospect and outreach
of the Network for Green
Water Harvesting in Eastern
and Southern Africa. CSE, in collaboration with Regional
Land and Water
Management (RELMA),
developed strategies to institutionalise urban
rainwater harvesting
campaigns in Nairobi and
Nakuru. Awareness
generation programmes
were organised in these
cities for diverse group of
people (academics,
researchers, architects,
government officials,
politicians, industrialists,
students, water experts,
bi-lateral agencies, water
groups, interested citizens
and local organisations. |
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On 26 August, the CSE team
along with representatives from RELMA and Kenya Rainwater Association (KRA) met officials
from the Ministry of Public works, Ministry of water resource development (left),
Ministry of Agriculture and the deputy mayor of Nairobi city at a seminar. On 27 August, CSE and RELMAjointly organised a seminar at Lundgren
hall in the World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, attended by architects, NGO
representatives, educational institutions, government officials, researchers, journalists
and interested citizens from Nairobi.
The National Museum of Kenya has constructed a rainwater
harvesting system in its campus. In May 2003, as the city faced a water crisis after a
pipeline burst, the museum’s employees took water from the storage tanks for domestic
purposes, while people were buying water for 7,000 Kenya shillings for one tanker!
The visit to Elementaita village in Nakuru district of
Kenya was a learning experience. The women of that area were effectively able to solve
their drinking water problems by harvesting rainwater from their rooftops.
In Telak, a village bordering the Masai Mara wildlife
reserve, RELMA joined hands with a private company sharing the goal of improving
livelihoods for the Masai community. |
