Browsing by Author "Mwikali, Kiamba Pauline"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Adoption of rainwater harvesting among the rural poor: a case of the semi-arid Mwala district, Kenya
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2013) Mwikali, Kiamba Pauline
    Water availability is one of the major constraints to food production in many parts of Kenya, necessitating innovative and sustainable solutions to improved water harvesting, storage and management for agricultural purposes. The study looked into the existing technologies in Mwala District of Machakos County. Data for the study was acquired through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, field observations and key informant interviews. The findings show that there is a wide variety of run-off based rainwater harvesting (RWH) technologies in the study area, such as communal earth dams and sand dams, individually owned underground tanks, water pans and polythene-lined ponds. A bivariate analysis done using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) indicated that adoption of these technologies is influenced by factors such as social, financial, human and physical capital. Failure of past RWH projects deterred farmers from investing RWH. An economic analysis for a 300m3 pond used to irrigate a 0.1ha farm of tomatoes with a 90 day growing period, showed high net present worth (US $ 76,059.17), indicating that it is a viable investment. Limitations to adoption include skepticism, the risk-averse nature of farmers, financial dependence and lack of information as to the existence of financing opportunities through microfinance institutions (MFIs). Opportunities for livelihood improvement through RWH in the study area include large sizes of land holdings, presence and engagement of NGOs in RWH projects through skills training, existence of (MFIs) with loan and credit packages with flexible terms for repayment, and high returns from growing of high value crops. These opportunities, if embraced and RWH taken up from the view point of a business venture, have significant potential in improving the livelihoods of members of the community.