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Opis:
Demand for water and affects of climate change will contribute to global water shortages and increasing cost of processing and delivery of treated water worldwide. Water harvesting during rainfalls is an important solution for all countries. In developed countries, collecting rainwater off roofs and saving it for gardens, lawns, car washing is an increasingly economically beneficial and sensible in savings of community water resources and costs of water treatment. In arid countries water harvesting through engineered sand dams has long lasting impact on the health and quality of life in communities were water scarcity leads to hours of walking to carry water for daily use and consumption. They are called sand dams because after construction of steel reinforced concrete structures, they quickly fill up with sand during the one or two weeks of seasonal rain each year. The sand acts as an aquifer where 40 percent of its volume is water. The sand increases water quality by natural filtration and exclusion of domestic animals. Rather than running off to the sea the water is retained and recharges local aquifers. The riparian habitat can return further shading and protecting evaporation. Beneficial trees, gardens and crops can be planted and irrigate as well. Desertification can be reversed along the length of the once eroded gullies turned water storage. Community health increases and incidences of water borne dysenteries decreases. Hours spent my families carrying water from distant sources can now be used more productively, for work, agriculture and school. The Soil Water Environmental Conservation Foundation welcomes to donations to build more sand dams and impact the quality of life and health of communities in rural semi-arid areas of Kenya.
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