DOCSLIB.ORG

Excellent Development: Pioneering Sand Dams

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Excellent Development: Pioneering Sand Dams Excellent Development: Pioneering sand dams. Contents WhWhatat iff.....? 3 WhWhatat arere sana d dadamsms? 4 - 5 AbAbststraractctioion memetthhodods 6 ImImpapactcts ofof sanand dadamsms. 7 ApApplplicicatatioionsns of sasandnd dama ss.. 8 - 9 ThThe prp oboblleemmss sanand dadamsms addddreressss. 10 - 1313 ScScalalining-g-upup sanand dadamsms. 14 - 1515 Image © Polly Braden What if...? What if there was a solution that would What if you could read all about it, right transform the lives of people in drylands – here, right now? home to 80% of the world’s poorest? What if you could get support to assess What if there was a solution that would it, test it and implement it? address some of the world’s most pressing problems: desertifi cation, climate change What if you could make a sustainable and confl ict? difference to people, livestock and wildlife in drylands? What if this solution naturally regenerated the environment and sustained people, livestock and wildlife? In this document, I want to share with you an holistic technology called sand dams. Sand dams have already transformed What if it had no operational costs, hundreds of thousands of lives. required virtually zero maintenance and didn’t rely on complex technology? Sand dams transformed my life. What if it only required locally available And, sand dams will transform millions materials and didn’t need water engineers more. or machinery? With your help, anything is possible. What if it happened to be the lowest cost form of rainwater harvesting – providing clean water close to need all year-round? SimonS Maddrell, Executive Director, Excellent Development. “3 what are sand dams? what are sand dams? A sand dam is a reinforced rubble cement wall built across a seasonal sandy river. They are a simple, low cost, low maintenance technology that retains rainwater and recharges groundwater. Heightened sandy riverbed Sandy riverbed Bedrock Reinforced rubble cement wall A mature sand dam stores up to 20 million litres of water - supporting up to 1,000 people with a clean, reliable, local water source during dry seasons. They are widely suited to dryland regions of the world. 4 how they work Rainwater run-off (containing water and soil) is trapped behind the dam. Silt in the water fl ows over the dam Sand in the water sinks During the rainy season, a seasonal river forms that carries soil (made up of silt and sand) downstream. The heavier sand accumulates behind the dam, while the lighter silt is carried downstream. Up to 40% of the volume retained behind the dam is water, protected 97-99% of the water fl owing in the from parasites and evaporation. river continues downstream Within one to four rainy seasons, the dam completely fi lls with sand. But, up to 40% of the volume behind the dam is actually water, trapped in the spaces between the sand. Each rainy season, the water stored by the sand dam is replenished. 5 abst abstractionraction methods methods An infi ltration gallery is a horizontal pipe, methods, depending on the context in installed in the dam during construction. which they are applied. Holes are drilled into the pipe and it is covered with different grades of sand to Scoop holes. allow water to fi lter into the pipe. Many dryland communities collect water from sand rivers using simple holes Tanks are built with a reinforced concrete scooped into the sand. Sand dams roof, on the inner wall of the dam. permanently raise the water table, making Water is abstracted using a bucket or water easily accessible from traditional a pump. Alternatively, the pipe can go scoop holes all year-round. Where through the dam and be connected to a the scoop hole is used for domestic tap on the downstream side of the dam. purposes, Acacia and thorns are often used to protect the hole from livestock. A separate livestock watering point is usually established below the dam, in order to mitigate contamination of the water. An infi ltration gallery connected to an external tap, installed during construction. Infi ltration gallery connected to a Abstracting water from a traditional scoop hole behind a sand dam. shallow well. The infi ltration gallery can also be Infi ltration gallery connected to a pipe connected to a shallow well in the adjacent and/or tank. river bank. Pipes built into the sand dam wall and connected to an infi ltration gallery provide Water can be abstracted using a bucket water ‘on-tap’ close to people’s homes. and rope, a hand pump or - if the water is Often these are also connected to a tank to be used for irrigation or distribution to behind the dam which allows for water to water kiosks - a mechanical pump. be pumped for irrigation. 6 the impacts of sand dams Sand dams, as part of a soil and water Food security. conservation strategy, address the critical With water and time readily available, challenges facing people in drylands: people can now invest in climate-smart water scarcity, food insecurity, and poverty. agriculture. This increases the quantity and diversity of food that can be grown – Water security. improving diets and providing a reliable Sand dams are the most cost-effective source of food, even during periods of method of rainwater harvesting in drought. drylands. They provide a lifetime of clean water for up to 1,000 people in rural Income generation. dryland regions. They provide security Sand dams increase household income to rain-fed agriculture - something of a by reducing expenditure on water and miracle for people who would otherwise food. They also create the opportunity depend on the unpredictable rainy to invest in new enterprises, such as seasons associated with drylands. exporting surplus food to local markets, or establishing small-scale fi sh ponds. With Groundwater recharge. the money saved and earned, families are Water held in a sand dam recharges able to invest in their children’s education. the aquifer above and below the dam to create a permanent increase in the water table. This increases the capacity of soil to absorb water and enables the natural growth of trees and plants.Studies demonstrate that vegetation biomass is consistently and signifi cantly higher at sand dam sites than at sites without sand dams during and after periods of water scarcity. Saving time. In many African drylands, women and children spend more than six hours a day collecting water. During drought periods this time may increase to as much as 12 hours. The lost opportunity from the burden of collecting water has an acute and adverse affect on livelihoods. Sand dams bring reliable access to water within 30 minutes of people’s homes, creating time to invest in sustainable land management, improved food production Sand dams create the opportunity to grow more and income generation. food to eat, store and sell. 7 Applications Applications of of sand sand dams dams The low cost of operating and maintaining contexts: as a method of community sand dams means they are well suited to self-supply, municipal supply, or as rural remote and poorly served regions. They road crossings over seasonal rivers - do not require water engineers and can be either as part of a public works programme built with the skills and contribution of or within wildlife reserves. locally trained people. Sand dams are therefore particularly suited as a tool for Community self-supply. community self-supply. Sand dams are a tested solution for enabling grassroots sustainable Municipal supply. development, with mutual benefi ts for For sand dams with high yields, they can environmental and human well-being. be connected to a distribution system of They create the conditions required for water kiosks - improving locally available land restoration and empower people to supply over large areas. overcome poverty based on a model of With yields exceeding 40m litres per year green economic growth. they are, in effect, ‘horizontal boreholes.’ Sand dams are particluarly suited as a method of community self-supply. Sand dams are the most cost-effective method of rainwater harvesting in drylands. They store up to 20 million litres of water within sand, where it is protected from evaporation and water disease vectors, such as mosquitoes. They have minimal operations and maintenance costs A water kiosk in Makueni County, Kenya. and last for over 50 years. 8 applications of sand dams Sand dams as rural road crossings. Sand dams in nature reserves. Rural road infrastructure is key to human African drylands are home to many of development. It enables people and the largest and most important nature produce to reach markets and services reserves in the world. They are major that would otherwise be inaccessible for tourist attractions, focal points of many isolated communities. biodiversity conservation and signifi cant sources of local and national income. Yet, where they cross seasonal rivers, rural roads are vulnerable to erosion. This However, the natural resources and fl ora is especially true in fl ood-prone drylands. and fauna within these reserves are regularly threatened by prolonged water In many dryland regions, culvert bridges scarcity. are traditionally built under small rural roads to allow water to fl ow underneath Large water points, such as boreholes, during rainy seaons. However, they are can result in degradation hotspots due rarely able to accommodate the largest to the concentration of animals at these fl oods and are often washed away. This points. They also deplete groundwater. results in soil erosion upstream and Converesly, sand dams recharge the downstream of the culvert, undermines aquifer. The higher aquifer supports the the stability of rural road systems natural growth of vegetation and improves and limits the economic development the local ecosystem and food supply.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Analyses of Impacts of a Sand Storage Dam on Groundwater Flow and Storage
    Analyses of impacts of a sand storage dam on groundwater flow and storage Groundwater flow modelling in Kitui District, Kenya Supervisors: Dr. J. Groen Dr. M.J. Waterloo Merel Hoogmoed July 2007 Master Thesis Hydrogeology (code 450122, 27 ECTS) Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences VU University, Amsterdam Analyses of impacts of a sand storage dam on groundwater flow and storage Groundwater flow modelling in Kitui District, Kenya ‘A river without sand, doesn’t hold the water’ Kenyan proverb - SASOL calendar 2006 Photo on the cover is made by: Supervisors: Merel Hoogmoed Dr. J. Groen December 2006 Dr. M.J. Waterloo Merel Hoogmoed, student number 1277448 Master Thesis Hydrogeology (code 450122, 27 ECTS) Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences VU University, Amsterdam Note : Some figures require a colour view to be interpreted Analyses of impacts of a sand storage dam on groundwater flow and storage Groundwater flow modelling in Kitui District, Kenya i Analyses of impacts of a sand storage dam on groundwater flow and storage Groundwater flow modelling in Kitui District, Kenya Summary Introduction Large parts of the world cope with problems of water supply during periods of low rainfall and consequent low or no river discharge. Kitui District is a semi arid region in Kenya where, during the dry season, communities in rural areas almost completely rely on water abstraction through hand-dug wells (scoop holes) in the dry sand riverbeds. To increase water availability during the dry season, SASOL (a local NGO) builds sand storage dams. The construction of sand dams has turned out to be very successful in increasing groundwater storage capacity, prolonging the period of groundwater availability (bridging dry seasons) and improving water quality.
    [Show full text]
  • Numerical Modeling of the Effect of Sand Dam on Groundwater Flow
    The Journal of Engineering Geology Vol. 28, No. 4, December, 2018, pp. 529-540 pISSN : 1226-5268 eISSN : 2287-7169 https://doi.org/10.9720/kseg.2018.4.529 RESEARCH ARTICLE Numerical Modeling of the Effect of Sand Dam on Groundwater Flow Bisrat Yifru1ㆍMin-Gyu Kim2ㆍSun Woo Chang3ㆍJeongwoo Lee4ㆍIl-Moon Chung5* 1Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology / University of Science and Technology, Student of Ph.D. Program 2Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Research Specialist 3Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Senior Researcher / University of Science and Technology, Adjunct Professor 4Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Research Fellow 5Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Senior Research Fellow / University of Science and Technology, Full-time Professor Abstract Sand dam is a flow barrier commonly built on small or medium size sandy rivers to accumulate sand and store excess water for later use or increase the water table. The effectiveness of sand dam in increasing the water table and the amount of extractable groundwater is tested using numerical models. Two models are developed to test the hypothesis. The first model is to simulate the groundwater flow in a pseudo-natural aquifer system with the hydraulically connected river. The second model, a modified version of the first model, is constructed with a sand dam, which raises the riverbed by 2 m.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Storage in Dry Riverbeds of Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: Overview, Challenges, and Prospects of Sand Dam Technology
    sustainability Review Water Storage in Dry Riverbeds of Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: Overview, Challenges, and Prospects of Sand Dam Technology Bisrat Ayalew Yifru 1,2 , Min-Gyu Kim 1, Jeong-Woo Lee 1 , Il-Hwan Kim 1 , Sun-Woo Chang 1,2 and Il-Moon Chung 1,2,* 1 Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea; [email protected] (B.A.Y.); [email protected] (M.-G.K.); [email protected] (J.-W.L.); [email protected] (I.-H.K.); [email protected] (S.-W.C.) 2 Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang 10223, Korea * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Augmenting water availability using water-harvesting structures is of importance in arid and semi-arid regions (ASARs). This paper provides an overview and examines challenges and prospects of the sand dam application in dry riverbeds of ASARs. The technology filters and protects water from contamination and evaporation with low to no maintenance cost. Sand dams improve the socio-economy of the community and help to cope with drought and climate change. However, success depends on the site selection, design, and construction. The ideal site for a sand dam is at a transition between mountains and plains, with no bend, intermediate slope, and impermeable riverbed in a catchment with a slope greater than 2◦. The spillway dimensioning considers the flow Citation: Yifru, B.A.; Kim, M.-G.; velocity, sediment properties, and storage target, and the construction is in multi-stages.
    [Show full text]
  • Building Sand Dams: a Practical Guide
    Building sand dams: a practical guide ©Polly Braden Simon Maddrell and Ian Neal Excellent Development I Dedication This guide is dedicated to the memory of Joshua Silu Mukusya (1949 - 2011), a true visionary and one of the original pioneers of sand dams. Joshua’s knowledge of sand dams was unrivalled. For over 30 years he worked tirelessly to help hundreds of communities to work themselves out of poverty. He was the one of the original pioneer of sand dams in Kenya, but his work didn’t stop with sand dams. His mission to find the best solutions to the many challenges faced by the people he served. This led him to trial and champion many different farming approaches such as fanya juu terracing, tree planting, community seed banks and farm demonstration plots to name a few. His work and passion for change touched the lives of thousands of people, a legacy that will be felt for generations to come. This guide is based on Joshua’s experience and that of his son, Andrew Musila Silu. Without the generous sharing of this knowledge, this guide would not have been possible. Photo 1: Joshua Silu Mukusya About the authors Simon Maddrell is the founder and Executive Director of Excellent Development. Simon has been involved with sand dams since 1985 when he first teamed up with Joshua Mukusya, leading an expedition of young volunteers from the UK to help build sand dams in Kenya. Simon was Chair of Excellent Development Kenya from 2005 to 2009. Simon has a BSc. in Development and Environmental Economics alongside 12 years of experience in the corporate sector.
    [Show full text]
  • An Examination of the Hydrological System of a Sand Dam During The
    Journal of Hydrology X 4 (2019) 100035 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Hydrology X journal homepage: www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-hydrology-x Research papers An examination of the hydrological system of a sand dam during the dry T season leading to water balances ⁎ Ruth Quinna,b, Ken Rushtonc, Alison Parkera, a Cranfield Water Science Institute, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL,UK b School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, King’s College, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK c 106 Moreton Road, Buckingham MK18 1PW, UK ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: To address water scarcity in semi-arid regions, rainfall and runoff need to be captured and stored locally before Sand dam they are lost to the sea. This can be done using a sand dam which consists of a reinforced wall constructed during Water balance the dry season across a seasonal riverbed. However it is unclear whether their main utility is to store water in the Managed aquifer recharge sand that is also trapped behind them, or to facilitate aquifer recharge. This paper aims to answer this question River bed by the calculation of a water balance in three sand dams in Kenya to quantify the amount of water transferred between the sand dam and the surrounding aquifer system. The components of the water balance were derived from extensive field monitoring. Water level monitoring in piezometers installed along the length ofthesand deposits enabled calculation of the hydraulic gradient and hence the lateral flow between the different reaches of the sand dam. In one sand dam water was gained consistently through the dry season, in one it was lost, and in the third it was lost almost all the time except for the early dry season in the upper part of the trapped sand.
    [Show full text]
  • Sand Dam Reservoir – Need of Semi Arid Areas
    Prof. Jadhav M. V., Er. Shaikh A. P., Er. Gite B.E., Er. Yadav A. P. / International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) ISSN: 2248-9622 www.ijera.com Vol. 2, Issue 6, November- December 2012, pp.1690-1694 Sand Dam Reservoir – Need Of Semi Arid Areas Prof. Jadhav M. V.1, Er. Shaikh A. P.2, Er. Gite B.E.3, Er. Yadav A. P.4 1,Department of Civil Engineering, Sanjivini College of Engineering, Kopergaon, Maharashtra, India. 2, 3,4. Department of Civil Engineering, Amrutvahini College of Engineering, Sangamner, Maharashtra, India. ABSTRACT: In dry land areas of India, episodic impermeable layer. It is constructed across a river to shortages of water are quite common. In many block the subsurface flow of water, hence creating a areas, Women have to spend days traveling long reservoir upstream of the dam within the riverbed distances looking for water. Any development or material. The main function of sand dams is to store rehabilitation of water supply schemes should water in the sand of the riverbed and therefore aim to ensure reliable and adequate water supply increase the volume of sand and water in riverbeds. and sanitation. The development of appropriate The reservoir will be filled due to percolation of and affordable community water supply systems water during flood events. The water within the calls for innovative rain and runoff water riverbed (reservoir) can be used for domestic use management technologies for domestic, livestock, and livestock. Other functions of sand dams can be and supplemental irrigation uses. The water held sand harvesting, rehabilitation of gullies and in sand dam behind the dam spread horizontally groundwater recharge.
    [Show full text]
  • Assessment of the Effect of Sand Dam on Groundwater Level: a Case Study in Chuncheon, South Korea
    The Journal of Engineering Geology Vol. 30, No. 2, June, 2020, pp. 119-129 pISSN : 1226-5268 eISSN : 2287-7169 https://doi.org/10.9720/kseg.2020.2.119 RESEARCH ARTICLE Assessment of the Effect of Sand Dam on Groundwater Level: A Case Study in Chuncheon, South Korea Bisrat Yifru1ㆍMin-Gyu Kim2ㆍSun Woo Chang3ㆍJeongwoo Lee4ㆍIl-Moon Chung5* 1Researcher, Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, KICT Student of Ph.D. Program, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology 2Research Specialist, Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, KICT 3Senior Researcher, Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, KICT Adjunct Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology 4Research Fellow, Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, KICT 5Senior Research Fellow, Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, KICT Full-time Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Abstract Sand dam is a successful water harvesting method in mountainous areas with ephemeral rivers. The success is dependent on several factors including material type, hydrogeology, slope, riverbed thickness, groundwater recharge, and streamflow. In this study, the effect of a sand dam on the groundwater level in the Chuncheon area, South Korea was assessed using the MODFLOW model. Using the model, multiple scenarios were tested to understand the groundwater head before and after the construction of the sand dam. The effect of groundwater abstraction before and after sand dam construction and the sand material type were also assessed. The results show, the groundwater level increases substantially after the application of a sand dam.
    [Show full text]
  • Download File
    Desk study Resilient WASH systems in Drought prone areas CARE Nederland © CARE International In collaboration with The Netherlands Red Cross Techniques to improve the resilience of community WASH systems in drought- prone areas Commissioned by: CARE Nederland In collaboration with: The Netherlands Red Cross With support of: PSO October 2010 This study has been commissioned by CARE Nederland, to explore the current body of knowledge with regards to resilient techniques in water supply where water availability is limited – in particular drought-prone areas – and to prepare the technical basis for the evaluation of WASH projects developed in areas that are (potentially) exposed to drought Drafted by: Eric Fewster 2 Table of Contents: With support of:................................................................................................................................................................................................2 Impact of drought on WASH systems ...............................................................................................................................................................4 Definitions of drought ......................................................................................................................................................................................11 Drought & resilient WASH resources overview..............................................................................................................................................14 Drought actors overview..................................................................................................................................................................................22
    [Show full text]
  • In-Channel Managed Aquifer Recharge: a Review of Current Development Worldwide and Future Potential in Europe
    water Review In-Channel Managed Aquifer Recharge: A Review of Current Development Worldwide and Future Potential in Europe Kathleen Standen * , Luís R. D. Costa and José-Paulo Monteiro Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias da Água (CTA), Universidade do Algarve, CERIS, IST, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; [email protected] (L.R.D.C.); [email protected] (J.-P.M.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 29 September 2020; Accepted: 29 October 2020; Published: 4 November 2020 Abstract: Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) schemes often employ in-channel modifications to capture flow from ephemeral streams, and increase recharge to the underlying aquifer. This review collates data from 79 recharge dams across the world and presents a reanalysis of their properties and success factors, with the intent of assessing the potential of applying these techniques in Europe. This review also presents a narrative review of sand storage dams, and other in-channel modifications, such as natural flood management measures, which contribute to the retardation of the flow of flood water and enhance recharge. The review concludes that in-channel MAR solutions can increase water availability and improve groundwater quality to solve problems affecting aquifers in hydraulic connection with temporary streams in Europe, based on experiences in other parts of the world. Therefore, to meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), in-channel MAR can be considered as a measure to mitigate groundwater problems including saline intrusion, remediating groundwater deficits, or solving aquifer water quality issues. Keywords: managed aquifer recharge; MAR; in-channel modification; check dams; recharge dams; sand storage dams; NFM; beaver dams 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Rainwater Harvesting
    Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries by Applying Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Tools ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR (IV) Rainwater Harvesting Dieter Prinz, Consultant to giz Water Harvesting (WH) Contents O Introduction O Overview Water Harvesting Methods O Groundwater Harvesting O Rooftop & Courtyard Water Harvesting O Microcatchment Water Harvesting O Macrocatchment Water Harvesting O Floodwater Harvesting O Summary Groundwater Harvesting Rooftop Water Harvesting Microcatchment WH Macrocatchment WH Floodwater Harvesting Rainwater Harvesting Overview The term ‘Water Harvesting’ covers • Groundwater Harvesting, i.e. using groundwater without lifting, WATER • Rainwater Harvesting, i.e. collecting runoff / HARVESTING overland flow, and • Floodwater Harvesting. Groundwater Runoff / Overland Flow Floodwater GROUNDWATER RAINWATER HARVESTING FLOODWATER HARVESTING HARVESTING Qanats / Groundwater Rooftop Water Agricultural Within Outside Foggara Dams Harvesting Water Harvesting Streambed Streambed Microcatchment Macrocatchment Water Harvesting Water Harvesting 3 Water Harvesting Groundwater Harvesting The term “Groundwater Harvesting” covers traditional and unconventional ways of groundwater extraction, e.g. by using groundwater without lifting it (Qanats) or by catching subterranean flow (Groundwater Dams). 4 Water Harvesting Groundwater Harvesting / Qanats Qanats: An ancient technique which finds renewed interest e.g. in Oman, Morocco etc. • Qanat tunnels have Water-Intake Areas
    [Show full text]
  • Robustness of Sand Storage Dams Under Climate Change UMANITY H OF
    Published online August 23, 2007 Robustness of Sand Storage Dams under Climate Change UMANITY H OF ESOURCES Jeroen Aerts,* Ralph Lasage, Wisse Beets, Hans de Moel, Gideon Mutiso, Sam Mutiso, R and Arjen de Vries RESSURES P ROUNDWATER THE This study shows the robustness of subsurface storage using sand dams under long-term climate change for the Kitui District in : G Kenya. Climate change is predicted to enhance potential evaporation through an increase in average temperature of about 3°C. HANGE Even though average precipitation will also increase, approximately 13%, the net water availability is projected to decrease in the UNDER C future, about 1 and 34% in the seasons November to March and April to October, respectively. This study shows that under ECTION S current climate conditions, total storage in the 500 sand dams currently developed in Kitui captures only 1.8 and 3.8% from LIMATE the total runoff generated during the November–March and April–October seasons, respectively. These numbers increase to 3 C and 20% of total available water for the year 2100 for the November–March and April–October seasons, respectively. Hence, PECIAL SSESSMENT A S AND downstream water shortages can be expected under climate change in the April–October season. An additional water consump- tion scenario has been developed in which 1000 new sand dams are developed. In this case, the percentage storage by 1500 sand dams relative to the total available water increases to about 11 and 60% for the November–March and April–October seasons, respectively. In general, the variability in runoff is projected to increase under climate change, and the probability of years in which there is signifi cant water shortage will increase from about once every 30 yr to once every 10 yr.
    [Show full text]
  • Assessing Siting Guidelines for Sand Dams in Kenya
    Sustainable Water Resources Management (2020) 6:58 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-020-00417-4 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Back to the drawing board: assessing siting guidelines for sand dams in Kenya K. N. Keziah Ngugi1,2 · C. M. Maina Gichaba2 · V. M. Vincent Kathumo2 · M. W. Maurits Ertsen3 Received: 13 September 2017 / Accepted: 15 June 2020 / Published online: 25 June 2020 © The Author(s) 2020 Abstract Sand dams have become popular in many parts of the arid world as a relatively cheap and efective water harvesting tech- nology. Kenya is one of the countries with the highest number of such dams, with semi-arid Kitui County having become a major hub in recent decades. These sand dams are used for water storage in the beds of Kitui’s seasonal rivers. The water is used for households and small-scale economic activities. Generally, sand dams are evaluated as very successful, but this paper shows that such success is not guaranteed. Field research conducted in Kitui County in October 2016 suggests that from 116 sand dams surveyed, about half did not have any water during the time of the assessment. This study assesses how various environmental factors afect sand dams’ ability to supply water for community use during dry periods in Tiva River catchment in Kitui County. Most of the assessed environmental factors did not show consistent patterns to draw inferences on how they afect sand dams’ ability to supply water, with the exception of rainfall amount, water indicating vegetation percentage of clay in a soil and stream orders. More overarching factors like agro-ecological zones and stream order do show a pattern of infuence on dams’ performance.
    [Show full text]