Green harvest

Green harvest has deploy rain water harvesting (RWH) as water source with significant environmental, social and economic benefits worth serious consideration. This paper presents a practical case study of new innovative ideas for simple household level and institutional RWH techniques appropriate for transient populations in emergency and post emergency situations.

Green harvest has deploy rain water harvesting (RWH) as a water source with significant environmental, social and economic benefits worth serious consideration. This paper presents a practical case study of new innovative ideas for simple household level and institutional RWH techniques appropriate for transient populations in emergency and post emergency situations. People can have access to clean water during rainy season without depending on Local government water supplier agency by catching rainwater from gutter and store it. This can reduce their water bill. Building that does not need this water can infiltrate the water to recharge well. As result, groundwater reserve will increase and less water will flow in the surface during rainy season so flood will less likely occur.

In the context of global climate change, a growing concern over lowering ground water tables and increased flooding. In Ghana, close to three million people (nearly 11 percent) rely on surface water to meet their daily water needs, leaving them vulnerable to water-related illness and disease. The lack of clean drinking water and sanitation systems is a severe public health concern in Ghana, contributing to 70% of diseases in the country. Due to unclean water and improper sanitation, Ghana has 1,000 kids under five years old dying every day from diarrhea, caused by this polluted water

 Rain water harvesting are especially applicable for transient populations in emergency and post emergency situations, and can become a sustainable supplementary water supply option for many vulnerable populations. This opinion is supported by Thomas and Martinson, who state “there is certainly opportunity in refugee camps for RWH to supplement bowered supplies and there is scope for modifying the design of emergency tents to facilitate the collection of runoff from their roofs. Such modifications include hemming up the edges of tarpaulin roofs to form pseudo guttering and issuing funnels to assist the direction of runoff into containers” (Thomas and Martinson 2007:124).

Green harvest will target the homeowners, homebuilders, contractors, real estate agent, property management companies, , hospitals, government institutions, hotels, restaurants, washing bays, laundry companies .households both in urban and rural areas, schools, Prisons, refugee camps, sanitation facilities, government offices and other non-governmental organizations and others. Green harvest will also target the households both in urban and rural areas, sanitation facilities, government offices and other non-governmental organizations

Track progress through household and institutional data collection - 5000 peoples in Ghana are harvesting rain water

Information will be gathered from Ghana statistical service - 5million cubic meter of rain water collected in Ghana

National Disaster Management Organization - Reduction in flooding at areas prone to flood in Ghana

Green harvest has deploy rain water harvesting (RWH) as a water source with significant environmental, social and economic benefits worth serious consideration. This paper presents a practical case study of new innovative ideas for simple household level and institutional RWH techniques appropriate for transient populations in emergency and post emergency situations. People can have access to clean water during rainy season without depending on Local government water supplier agency by catching rainwater from gutter and store it. This can reduce their water bill. Building that does not need this water can infiltrate the water to recharge well.

Key economic benefits of RWH include the low cost – especially the ‘ultralow cost’ self-help water collection methods, which can be accessible to the majority of the poor and most vulnerable and the potential for livelihoods development. Key social benefits of RWH include ease of access, good taste, and ease of management. In addition point of use water collection results in reduced risk and burden to women and children during water collection. Key environmental benefits of RWH include flood attenuation and reduced demand on groundwater reserves. 

Using locally available materials, Green harvest shall build large tanks (50,000-100,000l litres) to ensure reliable and sustainable supply. The model shall also see emphasis be given to adequate and superior guttering which is often neglected, leading to failure of rainwater harvesting systems. In this model, the tanks shall be built underground and installed with robust locally manufactured hand pumps. Furthermore, a first flush and filter system such as bio-sand filter shall be supplied to each tank to ensure adequate water quality.

During green harvest pilot stage, the whole community (men, women and children) will be engaged in various exercises to design innovative methods to use plastic sheeting, Iron roofing and others to capture rain water in a common household container. Children, who often bear the burden of water collection, will be expected to come up with some of the most innovative methods, which will then be tested. Green harvest will engage other stakeholders such as the Government, Civil society, and other interested NGO’S in the implementation of the initiative in various communities in Ghana

Green harvest will need $4000 to carry out the pilot project in the selected communities. The amount will be used to procure the equipment such as poly tanks, filters, pipes and also used some to sensitize the other communities on the need to adopt rain water harvesting method as a form of supplement to their water needs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Votxnwdw4EQ

Key economic benefits of RWH include the low cost – especially the ‘ultralow cost’ self-help water collection methods, which can be accessible to the majority of the poor and most vulnerable and the potential for livelihoods development. Key social benefits of RWH include ease of access, good taste, and ease of management. In addition point of use water collection results in reduced risk and burden to women and children during water collection. Key environmental benefits of RWH include flood attenuation and reduced demand on groundwater reserves.

Green harvest will engage other stakeholders such as the Government, Civil society, and other interested NGO’S in the implementation of the initiative in various communities in Ghana

Ghana water company limited and other private water supply companies