Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

FROM THE FIELD

Rainwater harvesting tanks in schools in Myanmar - Introducing safe water sources for students and teachers
08 Aug 2008 08:22:00 GMT
 Source: Malteser International - Germany
Malteser International

Website: Website: http://www.malteser-international.org

332065 logo
A rainwater harvesting tank in front of a school in the Alankone District in Myanmar
Previous | Next
A rainwater harvesting tank in front of a school in the Alankone District in Myanmar
Photo: Malteser International

Background

•  Chikungunya

•  Myanmar cyclone

•  Climate change

•  AIDS pandemic

•  Health and diseases

MORE >>
With some areas in Myanmar receiving up to 5000mm annual rainfall, its precipitation rates are among the highest in the world.

Nevertheless, rainwater is rarely used by the rural population for drinking purposes. Instead, water is carried over long distances to houses and schools.

To generate a safe water source for students, Malteser International with the financial support of BMZ, ECHO, ADH and UNHCR is constructing 52 RWH tanks in schools and health facilities in different project locations throughout Myanmar.

Through the promotion of rainwater, the population is now getting used to it as a drinking water source, and are encouraged to collect rainwater by themselves.

The RWH tanks for schools are 22 m³ in volume, and consist of a reinforced ferro cement wall. Rainwater is collected from the corrugated galvanised iron (CGI) roof of the school buildings. To prevent accumulated dust and dirt from the roofs entering the tank, a 'first flush system', a down pipe with a plug, is installed in the piping system, which should be activated after longer dry periods and especially in the first weeks of the rainy season.

The tank is equipped with an overflow and washout pipe, and an outlet tap which is located in a lockable tap house. Drainage leads overflow or spilled water to a soak pit or an existing trench, depending on the location.

An important part of the activity is training in use and maintenance for students and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and promoting the good quality of rainwater. The PTA is in most schools the responsible community-based organization, taking care of maintenance, cleaning and repairing of the tanks. This involves regular cleaning of roof and gutters, cleaning of drainage and checking if all openings of the tank are covered with fly screens to prevent mosquito breeding.

Rainwater is a safe water source if it is collected on a regularly cleaned roof and the first flush does not enter the tank. Instead of using rain-fed, mostly unprotected ponds, the students are encouraged to take rainwater as a reliable alternative, at least during the rainy season. Normally the number of tanks for schools is calculated by the standard of one litre of drinking water per student per day, based on the required supply throughout the dry season, with the exception of school holidays.


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Email this article       Send comments

Topics

•  Health

•  Climate change

•  Floods

•  Water

MORE >>

Emergencies

•  Myanmar cyclone

MORE >>

Members

•  Malteser International - Germany

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  Afghanistan: Severe drought and food price increases cause malnutrition and disease
Merlin - UK

•  Child friendly schools in Sri Lanka: How children can learn the importance of safe drinking water
Malteser International - Germany

•  CWS situation report: Tropical Storm Kammuri
CWS

•  CWS situation report: Pakistan flooding
CWS

•  One year after the earthquake in Peru: Malteser International draws a positive balance
Malteser International - Germany

MORE >>

Latest news

•  UN, Myanmar resolve aid currency problem, in theory

•  Scores of cities using untreated wastewater-study

•  Hundreds flee after dam break near Grand Canyon

•  Oxfam sees climate change role for E.Africa nomads

•  Antibodies still protect 1918 flu survivors-study

MORE >>

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Related articles

Breaking stories
 UN, Myanmar resolve aid currency problem, in theory (1 minute ago)

Scores of cities using untreated wastewater-study (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 East Asian cities urged to get ready for climate change (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 Afghanistan: Severe drought and food price increases cause malnutrition and disease (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Who's helping developing-country media tackle climate change? (1 minute ago)

Maps
 MAP: Vietnam flash floods (1 minute ago)


Country information

Briefings
Myanmar cyclone - [Who works where]

Topics
Health Climate change Floods Water
Facts & figures
Myanmar (formerly Burma)

Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-17T080915Z_01_OLYBEI01_RTRIDSP_2_CHINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/OLYBEI01.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-16T132512Z_01_PPH06_RTRIDSP_2_WEATHER-MEKONG_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/PPH06.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-16T131848Z_01_PPH04_RTRIDSP_2_WEATHER-MEKONG_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/PPH04.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-16T131428Z_01_PPH03_RTRIDSP_2_WEATHER-MEKONG_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/PPH03.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-16T131210Z_01_PPH02_RTRIDSP_2_WEATHER-MEKONG_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/PPH02.htm

A resident walks past mountain torrents caused by heavy rainstorms in Leishan county in Guizhou province, which is next to Yunnan province, August 16, 2008. The flood that plagued southwest China's ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Mon Aug 18 10:03:05 2008