Farmers urged to conserve rainwater for use in dry months

Murang’a,

Monday, January 15, 2024

KNA by Florence Kinyua

As the weatherman predicts that most parts of the country will continue receiving considerable amounts of rainfall until the first week of February, Soil analyst Bernard Ndung'u has advised farmers to conserve rainwater.

He observes that, at the onset of rain farmers need to make use of every drop that falls by adopting water harvesting techniques and storage methods.

 " To combat climate change, the country must adopt water-saving techniques for dry months because climate change is here with us," he said. 

Ndung'u notes that climate change has become a reality that we cannot run away from as we are currently experiencing extreme weather conditions such as prolonged droughts, irregular and unpredictable rainfall patterns as well as increased temperatures.

“Some areas have also experienced heat waves to the extent of causing natural fires and drying up of rivers and for this reason, we need to change from a rainfall country for agricultural production and adopt new farming techniques which are water saving, conserve the environment and enhance reliability in production,” he noted. 

He underscores the need to harvest water by collecting and storing runoff or groundwater from areas with a surplus or in areas where these resources are not used to make water available during shortages. 

Ndung’u has advised farmers to use roof catchments and tanks which are easy to install and manage.

 “Roof catchment and tanks involve collecting the rainwater from the impermeable roofs of buildings by use of gutter systems and directing the water to storage tanks which can either be plastic, concrete or use of ponds,” he said. 

The water collected can be used for domestic use and agricultural activities during the dry season and days of scarcity. 

The soil analyst further encourages farmers to dig small ponds near their homestead for collecting water runoff from households or after rainfall that could be used for irrigating a home garden or kitchen garden during the dry season or drought.

The pond, he says, should be lined with polythene sheet to reduce water seepage underground to avoid loss.

 "Water is a must-have input in any farming venture and water storage must be emphasized to avoid perennial losses and build a nutrient-rich food basket in all seasons" underscore Ndung'u

Courtesy; KNA