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The International Year of Sanitation 2008
Rainwater Harvesting, is it something to do with sanitation?
The U.N. General Assembly has declared 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation. It was high time to realize, that the Millennium Goals indicators for water and sanitation will never be reached if the whole community engaged in development issues doesn't change the gear.
The IRHA came on board with its programme "Blue Schools" providing decent sanitation conditions in public places, and especially in schools, represents a contribution of high importance. It is easy to understand that the IRHA, working on project for improving the life conditions in schools, is not satisfied by only offering there an access to water. It the scope of its activities one can find construction of adequate number and type of toilets for children and staff.
Sometimes we are surprised to hear the following question: "Rainwater Harvesting, is it something to do with sanitation?" The answer is: YES. Let us explain why.
1. Rain is water, and everybody knows how closely water supply and sanitation are linked. Rainwater doesn't need high level of purification to be used for maintenance of personal hygiene and cleanliness of sanitation premises.
2. Toilet flush, this incredibly greedy water consumer (47.7% of the total household consumption in Switzerland) is "fed" with precious, highly purified potable water. In new buildings, this error in the conception of sanitation systems starts to be corrected and rainwater takes the place in flush reservoir.
3. In areas without any or with irregular mains water supply, and where the population for religious reasons or by tradition practices anal washing, rainwater harvesting is a priceless ally. People there rather prefer not to use toilet facilities, if there is no water.
4. Sewage systems in thousands of cities and villages in the world are old, inadequate to the new number of users, unapt to serve correctly the population. In the time of precipitations, rainwater is added to the already overcharged sewage. Many of you have seen or smelled the results. Rainwater harvesting, practiced in large scale in urban areas, can discharge the city drains and prolong the lifetime of old sewages.
5. The use of collected urine from EcoSan toilets or improved latrines with evacuation of the liquid as a fertilizer is already a current practice in agriculture. Urine should be diluted with water in a ratio one part of urine with four to five parts of water. Simple rainwater harvesting practices on the field are often the only way to provide this missing part of the fertilizer.
In fact, we do not have to justify the reasons for which you have joined the movement. What matters is, at the end the International Year of Sanitation, to help more people to enjoy a decent and hygienic life using their new sanitation facilities.