Promoting Rain Water Harvesting as a solution for polluted ...€¦ · and promote use of same to overcome water shortage issues. •Members of the societies will be educated why

Promoting Rain Water Harvesting as a solution for polluted water related

CKDu (Chronic Kidney Disease)

Deepthi Wickramasinghe, Ph.D

Professor, University of ColomboRegional Council Member, Global Water Partnership - SA

Sri Lanka Water Partnership

Clean and accessible water is a basic

human right.

• Yet, water scarcity affect many people - mostly

the poor.

• Experience in Sri Lanka ….

• Can we achieve the SDG target 6.1 –

Safe and affordable drinking water for

all ?

In the rural agricultural areas

• The same water resource is shared for

- irrigate crops (paddy, mostly)

- human needs

• Misuse and over use of chemicals are

common among farmers.

• Thus, fertilizers and agrochemicals are

added to water in many ways.https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=296729&org=NSF&from=news

https://newspunch.com/sri-lanka-president-bans-glyphosate-herbicides/

Village poor have no means of

obtaining water ……

• No pipe water supply

• Impacts of climate change- less

rain fall and droughts

• No option other than using reservoir water for drinking

http://unhabitat.lk/infocus/rehabilitating-the-kovilvayal-village-internal-access-road-in-kilinochchi/

Problem- Lack of safe drinking water

• CKDu has become a silent killer leaving many families helpless.

• Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Aetiology

• 35,000 patients

• 1000+ deaths

http://www.sci.ruh.ac.lk/computer/project_1.phphttps://newspunch.com/sri-lanka-president-bans-glyphosate-herbicides/

• Evidence suggests that the disease is related to one or more environmental agents.

• However, pinpointing a definite cause for CKDu is challenging.

• It is plausible that CKDu is multifactorial

• No specific guidelines or recommendations exist for treatment of CKDu.

CKDu

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0946672X17306429

The researchers reveal that there is a strong possibility of contamination of drinking water with high levels of

• fluoride

• water hardness

• pesticides

• heavy metals

• and may be cyanobacterial toxins

http://www.dailymirror.lk/44414/today-is-world-kidney-day--chronic-kidney-disease-global-and-sri-lankan-perspectives

• Kidney disease was the seventh most common cause of death and an increasing cause of death in Sri Lanka in 2012 (WHO).

• Farming was reported as the main occupational/environmental risk factor for CKDu.

• CKDu problem affects not only the local economy and development but also stability of the family lives of the patients.

• Most of the affected people are the chief occupant or the bread winner of the family which drag the entire family unit into a misery.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Landmark-in-the-history-of-Lanka-s-Fight-against-kidney-disease-153090.html

Solution- Rain Water Harvesting (RWH)

RWH: clean, free water

• To ensure health, dignity to all

• To tap rain water at your door step

https://puritas.lk/

• Rain water harvesting is an eco friendly alternative.

• Since rain water does not contain any pollutant and regarded as a clean source of drinking water it could enhance water and sanitation in the affected areas.

http://www.waterboard.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=28&Itemid=272&lang=en

• Providing safe and clean drinking

water will not only save the

comminutes from the deadly

diseases

• but also help them obtaining

clean water from their residence

reducing time wasted for

fetching water form outside.http://salt.lk/water-for-all/

Highlights

• This project proposes to form village level rain water harvesting societies and promote use of same to overcome water shortage issues.

• Members of the societies will be educated why they should not use contaminated tank water and switch to RWH.

• Selected families will be donated with RWH tanks and will be given a short training how to maintain those with periodical cleaning.

35 RWH tanks- schools, hospitals, individuals in

Kurunegala District

Training and awareness

Monitoring - Participatory approach

RWH

Government

Communities

Societies

http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/projects/sri_lanka/detail22_en.html

https://www.gwp.org/en/learn/KNOWLEDGE_RESOURCES/Case_Studies/Asia/disaster-risk-reduction-through-climate-change-adaptation-in-aranayake-sri-lanka-495/

Other benefits

- Attitudes: Willingness to change

- Awareness raising – water sources conservation, good practices

- School children as conservation messengers

- Increased stakeholder participation

- Innovative solutions using freely available natural resource

http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Children-Our-future-citizens-156176.html

http://www.searo.who.int/entity/water_sanitation/topics/rainwater/en/

Thank You!