“MAKE RAINWATER HARVESTING MANDATORY” Local NGO Urges

By: Sylvester Choloplay

In the wake of efforts to tackle climate change and flooding in Liberia, a local non-governmental organization, Abundant Rain Liberia Incorporated is recommending to the Liberian Government that rainwater harvesting be mandatory in Liberia.

Rainwater harvesting is the collection and storage of rainwater that runs off from roof-tops, parks, roads, open grounds, and subsequently be reused.

Speaking to a group of Journalists recently in Monrovia, the Founder and Managing Director of Abundant Rain Liberia Incorporated, Madam Joelle Gordon, disclosed that the harvesting of rainwater in the country will help in the fight against climate change, mainly flooding and the production of safe drinking water in Liberia.

According to Madam Gordon, the harvesting of rainwater in Liberia will assist many Liberians to have safe drinking water in their homes and subsequently do away with the usage of plastic water that usually causes pollution nearly in every part of the country, including the principal streets of Liberia.

The Founder and Managing Director of Abundant Rain Liberia Incorporated also revealed that when rainwater is properly managed, it is safe and people don’t get sick from drinking it.

Speaking at an honoring program in Monrovia when a local civil society group, the Society for the Promotion of Peace, National Reconciliation and Reunification, presented a certificate of appreciation to her institution for being a very good, reliable, and productive company in Liberia, Madam Gordon intoned that rainwater harvesting will help Liberia greatly in reducing the shortage of safe and clean drinking water in the country.

Abundant Rain Liberia Incorporated is specialized in recycling and designing rainwater systems that meet individual water requirements for schools, clinics, businesses, and homes.

Speaking further, Madam Gordon pointed out that the system will also aid in reducing the filthiness of Liberia, mainly in central Monrovia with the reduction of plastic water.

“We are currently working with Liberia’s Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) and relevant institutions to invest and produce more safe drinking water and create adequate sanitation, and good hygiene practices towards improving children’s health and education’’, she said.

Currently, in Liberia, the issue of sanitation is very poor, with the vast majority of people in rural areas lacking decent toilets and latrines, and about 42 percent of the country’s population practices open defecation.

Securing access to safe water and adequate sanitation for all would go a long way in reducing infection, disease, and death; less than 10 percent of Liberians have access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation services.

Additionally, Liberia’s high rates of diarrheal diseases and childhood malnutrition, as well as frequent outbreaks of cholera, show how young children suffer when they don’t have access to the basics of life.

For school-going children, the lack of WASH facilities in schools spreads disease and results in missed days of learning.

For girls who have started to menstruate, the absence of separate girls/boys’ bathrooms discourages them from coming to school on menstrual days and contributes to drop-out, that’s according to the Joint Monitoring Programme 2017 Reports.

But the Founder and Managing Director of Abundant Rain believes that with the idea of harvesting rainwater in Liberia will enable the country have a good number of its people having clean and safe drinking water and even reduce bad sanitation hygiene conditions.

“Abundant RAIN systems have helped over 10 000 children through access to clean drinking water in hospitals, clinics, schools and, private homes. We have Installed 100+ RAIN systems providing clean drinking water to thousands of people in Liberia. No more time spent walking to and from to get water from the well, or waiting in long queues at water kiosks. Water directly from a tap in the house changes everything. We have been operating over 50 communities in ten counties including River Cess, Montserrado, Bong, Bomi, Maryland, Margibi, River Gee, Grand Bassa, Sinoe, and Grand Cape Counties in Liberia”, She noted.

“We don’t sell our water, but we help to see everybody has safe and clean drinking water; also, we intend to be installing clean drinking water systems in all fifteen counties by 2025. All of our water is being tested by the Liberia Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the more communities that hear of our work the more people know and the more people we can help”, Madam Gordon asserted. Liberia has two seasons, rainy and dry seasons and between late April and mid-November, it is hot, wet and cloudy, with frequent heavy rain showers. Between December and March, it is dry with hot days and cool nights. Monrovia is one of Africa’s wettest capital cities, with annual rainfall averaging about 4500mm, but rain seldom falls outside of the wet season”.