Focus on success of rainwater harvesting project |07 February 2011

The coordinator of the water harvesting projects in schools, Jeannette Larue, made this statement after the official opening of an international workshop on Friday at Le Méridien Barbarons Hotel.

The Departments of Environment and of Education, together with the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) and CC Dare – a climate change adaptation and development initiative – are holding the workshop to create a knowledge-sharing network for those dealing with the climate change issue.

As a result of the workshop those present will build on what they have experienced when they carry out projects in their own countries.

The 30 representatives from five countries in the region will also suggest ways through which they can use the projects in the wider framework of national development plans in Africa.

Present at the official opening on Friday morning were Minister for Education, Employment and Human Resources Macsuzy Mondon, principal secretary for education Merida Delcy and representatives from Unep, among many others.

In his speech to launch the meeting, the focal point for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Wills Agricole, said climate change is happening at a rate that is unprecedented and, if unchecked, could bring significant destruction to vulnerable countries around the world, including Seychelles.

“Just last year, Seychelles suffered one of the most severe droughts in its history, which depleted our small resources,” he said.

“With limited surface water, heavy demand and lack of adequate financial resources to instal water storage plants, Seychelles is on the front line in the fight for innovative solutions to our water problem.”

Mr Agricole said the drought badly affected socio-economic activities – making people apprehensive of other drastic results of the changing weather, such as landslides and floods.

This is one of the reasons why some schools in the country have been carrying out a water harvesting project to make maximum use of rainfall.

Schools are collecting rainwater from gutters connected to the buildings and storing it in tanks – to be used in toilets, for washing up and other such activities.

Mrs Larue said since the project started, the schools taking part have seen a decrease of up to R2,000 in their water bills as the students are wasting less of what the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) provides.

“We have had very good feedback after starting the project in schools, as we have not only cut down on the schools’ water bills but have managed to teach students all about climate change as well,” she said.

For the time being only schools are being funded under the programme, though the PUC and Sustainability for Seychelles – a non-governmental organisation concerned with the environment – are working with the communities to try to get households to adopt rainwater harvesting methods.

Mrs Larue said among the difficulties they faced when setting up the system in schools was the cost – around R8,000 to instal one of the storage tanks.

But she explained that the tanks soon paid for themselves as there was a huge decrease in the water bills within the first few months of using the system.

During the meeting at Barbarons, the delegates also had a chance to talk about rainwater harvesting in Ethiopia and the renovation of small dams and reservoirs in Togo.

There are four other countries in the African region taking part in the rainwater harvesting project as a means of adapting to climate change.