Rainwater Harvesting - A Potential Safety Net for Water Security in Ghana

Abstract

Water is an important medium for many activities including water for consumptive and non-consumptive purposes. Lack of water quality and quantity does not only hampers socio-economic development but affects agricultural productivity, sustainable development, sanitation, health, industrial development and the ecosystem. The advent of climate change is known to affect water flow, increases dry season spells and drought, and influences reservoirs or deep groundwater wells thus worsening the precarious water situation in Africa. About 1.7 billion of the world population lives in water scarce regions and this is projected to grow to about 300% or 5 billion by 2025 especially in Africa. In Ghana, population growth, pollution of river bodies, high evapotranspiration, erratic rainfall pattern and environmental degradation among others have affected water availability and use. These challenges will therefore require a deliberate water harvesting, integrated water management and conservation, water use efficiency and capacity building to withstand the dwindling trend of water resources in the country. This paper therefore seeks to inform policy makers, stakeholders, institutions responsible for water resources management among others to consider water harvesting as a potential solution to the many challenges including water shortages, floods, and land degradation. The article was carried out through extensive review of literature, official reports and policy documents. It shows the need to adopt appropriate techniques for rainwater harvesting to address the perennial water scarcity in the country.

Use of spatial information to remove barriers and to foster enablers of uptake of Nature Based Solutions for food production and water resource management in Ghana and the Netherlands

“…One example of this is rainwater harvesting for irrigation, which is frequently practiced in the North, where it has provenly enhanced the climate-resilience of the food system future (Boelee et al, 2013;Stockholm Environment Institute & United Nations Environment Programme, 2009). However, rainwater harvesting is not yet common practice in the Bono East variability (Amankwah & Napoleon, 2019;Antwi-Aygei, 2012). This may be explained that the effects of climate change are not yet fully perceived or practically experienced, leading to a low sense of urgency among producers and policymakers.…”

“…One of the statements in this strategy was that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) are responsible for developing irrigation reservoirs that harvest rainwater for agriculture (MoWRWH, 2011). Since 2011, the MoFA has worked on RWH for irrigation through irrigation schemes, but despite the potential, little of these investments have been made in Bono East (Amankwah & Napoleon, 2019;Hari, 2019;Linderhof et al, 2022).There are multiple techniques that are available for rainwater harvesting, adapted to the context. Depending on slope and soil texture and structure, run-off of rainwater can be harvested from a catchment area into a reservoir created by micro-dams (Biazin et al, 2012;Kiggundu et al, 2018).…”

Rainwater harvesting for irrigation for climate-resilient and circular food systems : The case of Ghana’s Bono East Region

“…For Ghana, RHW is considered to be a potential intervention to overcome water shortages during growing season (Emmanuel and Napoleon 2019;Andoh, Gupta, and Khare 2018). There is an extensive literature study for RWH in Ghana which reviewed the scientific literature, the grey literature and the policy document in Ghana (Emmanuel and Napoleon 2019). Soil and water conservation adoption in Ghana (Abdul-Hanan, Ayamga, and Donkoh 2014).…”