Residents of Kiambu County are utilising different methods of water harvesting to make the most out of the recent heavy rainfall from the El Nino phenomenon that has been across the county.
The rains that have been ongoing for the past month have claimed the lives and property of many, but those fortunate enough not to have been severely affected have taken advantage of the persistent rainfall to bolster their water harvesting infrastructure to allow for more water-saving and preparedness measures.
The Kenya Meteorological Department estimated rainfall set to cover Kiambu during the March-April May “long rain” season to receive between 400mm to 600mm of rainfall following the first week of June 2024, and some of the recommendations to the public included enhancing water harvesting from the slightest downpour.
County Meteorological Department head Magdalene Gateri highlighted the impacts that different sectors would feel during the rainy season in a report on the ongoing rains in the county and identified the importance of sustaining the water, irrigation, and sanitation sectors.
“We are advising Kiambu residents to take the opportunity to enhance their water harvesting methods during the long rain period, as well as prepare for possible floods throughout the season,” she said.
William Kamau, a local farmer, has been worried about the amount of rainfall that has been experienced since the heavy rainfall began, though he has a few water tanks which he has been able to continuously fill during this time, which has been good for his greenhouse farming.
“I started this greenhouse for many years, and this has always been my method of ensuring I have an adequate supply of water for my plants. With all this rain, I am now able to harvest more water for my tanks,” he said.
Jane Wanjine has also embraced her water-harvesting infrastructure to prepare for the future. She has a water transportation business and has been very keen to read the seasonal county forecasts. This has helped her prepare for previous rainy seasons, but this recent downpour has been unexpected.
“I’m lucky to have a house that can’t be swept away because the rains have been devastating around the country. I installed underground water storage tanks many years ago, and now they are being put into good use. I can also transport water to places like apartments that might have water shortage issues,” she said.
Kenya’s recent heavy rainfall could be attributed to a combination of climate change and the Indian Ocean Dipole, a weather event that warms the Western Indian Ocean, bringing with it rain for most of the countries in the region.
By Cedric Karungaru
