Training Programme on Rainwater Harvesting at Kigali, Rwanda

Date: January 23-25, 2019
Venue: Kigali, Rwanda
Language: English 

Background

Our global water resources are under constant threat due to factors like population and economic growth leading to excessive consumption and unplanned infrastructure.These result in consequences like climate change, pollution, etc which impact human health and environment.  Simultaneously, with the global water cycle intensifying due to climate change, drier regions are becoming even drier and wetter regions are becoming wetter. Likewise, many important aquifers are being over-pumped, causing widespread groundwater depletion and half of the world’s wetlands have been lost to 'development'. Thus having an impact of water demand which has been increasing at a rate of about 1% per year and will continue to grow significantly over the next two decades. It is estimated that presently, 3.6 billion people i.e. half of the global population live in potentially water-scarce areas at least one month per year, and by 2050 this population could rise to 4.8–5.7 billion, approximately.The human world's water woes stem from an unbalanced and unchecked resource consumption. Our wasteful use of water is characterised by poor management systems, improper economic incentives, use of conventional approach of laying huge infrastructure network for developing new supplies and failure to apply conservation and efficiency measures. Also, unequal access to different social groups and a fundamental lack of respect for such a critical natural resource which is, ironically, also worshiped and held sacred across different cultures. 

To control such existing practices, several sustainable measures have been suggested as a way forward. One such approach towards water management is the use of a traditional concept of rainwater harvesting (RWH). RWH’s massive potential in Africa is being recognised with the quantity of rain able to satisfy the needs of 9 billion people (one and a half times the current global population). Governments of various African countries are showing interest in RWH as is evident in their policy initiatives. One such example being of Rwanda.With Rwanda’s relatively substantial rainfall of 1200 mm annually, RWH may prove to be an alternative source of water which will help to meet the ever increasing and conflicting demands of water for human needs, socio-economic development and environmental protection. Although some efforts are being observed, RWH in Rwanda is still at its infant stage. The approach needs to be aligned with the 2030 SDGs, which include clean water, sanitation and sustainable cities, with community involvement, as major priorities. Currently in Rwanda, communities and institutes are not yet fully accustomed to RWH concepts. There is a need for dissemination of RWH know-how integrated with regulated monitoring and evaluation.

Understanding the need of building capacity of stakeholders for creating a water prudent society, Center for Science and Environment (CSE) and WaterAid Rwanda is conducting a three day training for capacity building of practitioners, academicians and government officials from Rwanda on Rainwater Harvesting.

Content of Training

Thetraining programme will focus on RWH and the potential it holds in augmentation of water availability by using public spaces to recharge their groundwater or store and reuse the rainwater. The training will also showcase examples to bring in required laws to enable individuals to undertake RWH. The participants will get the opportunity to plan and design a RWH system and also learn about best management practices from South Asian countries as well as emerging concepts like water sensitive urban design and planning.The training programme will be accompanied with a field visit to have practical knowledge about RWH.

Aim:

The training aims to create a south-south network of practitioners for providing an enabling environment towards mainstreaming sustainable and affordable RWH.  

Learning Objectives:

• To provide knowledge and skill development of participants towards sustainable and affordable RWH in Rwanda.
• To capacitate participants for planning, designing and implementing low cost RWH systems.
• To build south-south network of practitioners (state/non-state) for mainstreaming sustainable water management practices.
• To interact with the real implementers

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the training the participants will be able to:

• Create awareness and value of RWH technology to address modern day water crisis
• Improve knowledge of tool and techniques of RWH
• Understand how to formulate water management design strategies using RWH in the context of present day issues
• Exposed to with various stakeholder involved in RWH system 

Training Methodology

The training style is considerably based on the ‘Harvard Case Method’, which conveys teaching messages through interactive practical work done by trainees. The trainings will be focused on experiential learning – including individual/group interaction, practical group exercises, interactions with experts, discussions, field visit, and documentary films to highlight the best management practices successfully implemented.

For registration, please fill the form

This training is part of the series of sustainable water management trainings conducted by CSE in Rwanda since 2015. To view the previous year’s trainings organized in Rwanda,

• Training Programme on Mainstreaming Sustainable Urban Water Management:
  September 13 - 16, 2016
  
  
• Training on Urban Rainwater Harvesting:  29th June 2015

Course Coordinator:

For more information on the training programme kindly contact:

Local contact (Rwanda):

Jean Lambert Sebareze,
Head of Programmes -WaterAid Rwanda
Email: JeanLambertSebareze@wateraid.org
Landline: +250 252 579 650

India contact:

Dr Mahreen Matto 
Programme Manager 
Water Programme
CSE, New Delhi, India
Phone: +91-11-40616000, +91-11-40616000 (Ext: 257)
Email: mahreen@cseindia.org 

Ms. Shivali Jainer
Deputy Programme Manager
Water Programme
CSE, New Delhi, India
Phone: +91-11-40616000, +91-11-40616000 (Ext: 257)
Email: shivali@cseindia.org 

Dr. Suresh Kumar Rohilla
Senior Director & Academic Director (School of Water and Waste, Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute – AAETI)
CSE, New Delhi, India
Email: srohilla@cseindia.org 

Maurice Kwizera
Country Director, WaterAid Rwanda
Email: mauricekwizera@wateraid.org
Landline: +250 252 579 650