Rainwater Harvesting and Livelihoods
The Mvula Trust has implemented numerous rainwater harvesting projects in various provinces. These projects - utilizing various technical approaches – all aimed that increasing the water availability at household level for productive uses, particularly for food gardening.
Rainwater harvesting refers to techniques to collect, concentrate and store rainwater that runs off a natural or man-made catchment surface. Rainwater can be collected from roofs and from ground surfaces, and can be collected in a variety of storage tanks – above-ground or underground. Rainwater harvesting has been practiced for hundreds of years in many different countries, in many different ways, but generally with only one purpose: to ensure easy access to a (reasonably) reliable source of water, be it for drinking purposes, irrigation, cattle or any other use. As our climate changes and becomes more “unreliable”, rainwater harvesting is a good way to smooth out the risks communities face with erratic rainfall patterns becoming more prevalent.
Rainwater Harvesting Projects in 2009/10
Limpopo
The Limpopo Regional office had provided 76 underground masonry tanks and a 159 above ground rainwater harvesting systems to rural households Capricorn, Vhembe, Sekhukhune and Mopani Districts by the end of the 2009/10 year.
North West
192 households were provided with rainwater harvesting systems, as part of a livelihoods and food security programme in two villages near Taung.
Mpumalanga
800 rainwater harvesting tanks were provided to communities in Mbombela, Nkomazi and Bushbuckridge District Municipalities