04 Dec 2013

The Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, through the department of water affairs, has during the financial year 2012/13 engaged in a number of demonstrations of water harvesting initiatives in partnership with various institutions.


Answering a question in Parliament on Tuesday, December 3, Minister Kitso Mokaila said this was through awareness campaigns, rain water harvesting demonstration projects at department of Water Affairs head office, Shoshong Senior Secondary School; Our Lady of the Desert Primary School in Francistown; Khawa village and Marobela Brigades. 


He said no estimates were made for the amount of water lost due to non-adherence to water harvesting during the 2912/13 rainy season. He however said Botswana undertook a project on Water Conservation and Water Demand Management in Botswana in 2004/5.

He said during the project, a survey undertaken revealed that due to high water subsidies in low tariffs, people were not eager to undertake rainwater harvesting as it worked out to be more expensive when comparing with conventional water supply.


Meanwhile he said the 2012 Draft National Water Policy is currently under promulgation and has been approved by cabinet and once approved by parliament, it will guide the development of a National Water Conservation Strategy.
Additionally, an Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Efficiency (IWRM/WE) plan for Botswana was completed in 2012.

“This IWRM plan details a number of strategic initiatives aimed at promoting rain water harvesting as one of the alternative sources for augmenting potable water. The national IWRM is scheduled to be launched on December 10, 2013,” he said.


The MP for Shoshong Mr Phillip Makgalemele had asked the minister to state strategies his ministry deployed to enhance water harvesting in Botswana during the 2012/13 rainy season; the estimated amount of water lost due to non-adherence to water harvesting strategies during the 2012/13 rainy season.


The MP also wanted to know whether there is a national strategy on water harvesting in Botswana. ENDS