ECONOMICS MADE SIMPLE : The economics of rainwater harvesting

Parts of Tanzania continue to experience heavy rainfall with a number of negative effects. They range from loss of lives to loss of properties.

Infrastructure such as roads and bridges have been destroyed increasing the already bad infrastructure deficit and its many and far-reaching related implications.
In the second week of January 2019 for example a downpour destroyed Dumila bridge causing vehicles travelling between Dodoma and Dar es Salaam to take alternative route said to increase the distance by  over 200 kilometres.

Utilities like electricity and water can be disconnected. Households and individuals lose or get their properties destroyed due to floods. There are cases of destroyed crops and lost animals as well. What could have been a blessing in disguise in this situation is seeing the rains as economic and business opportunity and harvest it as partly outlined in what follows.
Water as economic resource
Water in general and rain water for that matter is a very important economic resource. Its use has been among the contributing factors for economic development across geography and time.
It is and will remain to be a very important factor of production in various economic undertakings. It is used in transportation, agriculture, livestock keeping, fishing, mining, sports, industries and most importantly for various domestic uses among others. The need to harvest it cannot be overemphasized.
Rain water harvesting
Rainwater can be harvested in various ways. Generally, it is all about collecting the rainwater for future or even immediate use. It can be collected from roof tops and surface runoff among others. This is very important because rain comes in seasons and there is uneven distribution of the same over time and space. Arguably, all the rain that falls in a year if harvested could provide more than the needed water. Letting the rain water just go is partly a missed economic opportunity even though it may ‘come’ back through the rain making process.
Rainwater harvesting is very important economic undertaking as harvesting any other ‘ripe’ resource. The harvesting should be a matter of concern and priority from global to household levels.
Unsatisfactory harvesting
Several indicators point to the fact that there is inadequate rain water harvesting in Tanzania and other comparator economies. The mere fact that there is huge runoff causing havocs as outlined earlier in this piece is evidence that there is inadequate rain water harvesting.
The biggest evidence of unsatisfactory harvesting is inadequate availability of water in places it has rained heavily just few days if not hours after rain. Proper harvesting can ensure water availability year round from individual to national levels.
The author of this article harvested rainwater for large scale use for about four months from two days rainfall on January 1 and January 4 2019 in Dar es Salaam. Satisfactorily rainwater harvesting is a function of both willingness and ability. The ability includes availability of rainwater harvesting and storage infrastructure as outlined in what follows.
Infrastructure
Rain water harvesting and storage infrastructure is very important. The infrastructure varies from very simple to complicated ones. It can be harvesting water from various roofs. It can also be harvested by taming surface runoffs into dams.
Arguably, the relatively high cost of the infrastructure contributes to a large extent on the generally observed inadequate rain water harvesting in Tanzanian types of economies. This in turn is due to low incomes levels of the majority in the population. This contributes to inadequate quantity and quality of harvested rainwater. The result is water scarcity amidst plenty rainfall.
Ways forward
The key issue includes how to do rainwater harvesting. There is no single way of making the rainwater harvesting we want a reality. Among strategies include provision education, awareness and sensitisation amongst the population. This includes making the key issues on why and how to harvest rainwater known to all.
There is also a need for attractive legal, policy and regulatory framework to attract and give appetite and comfort to the would-be rainwater harvesters. They range from individuals to corporate entities including public and private institutions.
Indeed, rainwater harvesting should be seen as among the new investment opportunities for both foreign and local investors of all sizes from micro to large and multinational enterprises.
Allocating adequate budgets in this otherwise easily missed opportunity is very important. Important too is providing incentives including subsidies and tax exemptions in rainwater and related equipment and activities.