SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA RAIN WATER HARVESTING NETWORK (SEARNET)

It is well know that conventional water supply systems may not entirely be adequate in solving the water needs of the greater number of people. In sub-Saharan Africa an estimated 400 million people will live in countries facing severe water scarcity in the year 2010. Realizing that surface and ground sources of water like lakes, rivers and ponds face the twin challenge of over exploitation and pollution, there is growing need to harvest and conserve rainwater where it falls. Rainwater harvesting is the collection and storage of runoff for domestic, livestock and agriculture. The Southern and Eastern Africa Rainwater Network (SEARNET) is a regional body set up to promote rainwater harvesting.

THE SEARNET PROFILE

SEARNET was born during a regional workshop held in Machakos, Kenya in June 1998. Delegates from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe attended this historic workshop while countries absent with apologies were Eritrea, Rwanda and South Africa. Thereafter, SEARNET has held a series of regional conferences to determine its future as a regional body. During a regional conference held in Livingstone, Zambia in December 2001, delegates signed a declaration of intent for SEARNET. The first draft presentation of the SEARNET constitution was during a conference held in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in December 2002. The process has started to register SEARNET as an international non-governmental organization.

The establishment of the SEARNET secretariat was in January 2003 in Nairobi, Kenya. World Agroforesty Centre hosts the secretariat. The secretariat will facilitate networking among member country associations. SEARNET membership currently constitutes the following associations:

1. Kenya Rainwater Association (KRA),
2. Ethiopia Rainwater Harvesting Association (ERHA),
3. Botswana Rainwater Harvesting and Utilization Association (BORHUA),
4. Rainwater Harvesting Association of Malawi (RHAM),
5. Uganda Rainwater Harvesting Association (URWA),
6. Rainwater Harvesting Association of Tanzania (RHAT),
7. Zambia Rainwater Harvesting Association (ZARHA),
8. Rainwater Harvesting Association of Zimbabwe (RHAZ) and
9. Rainwater Harvesting Association of Rwanda (RRHA)

Mission statement
The mission of SEARNET is to network among its member associations within the region for the promotion of rainwater harvesting and utilization.

Vision of SEARNET
To improve livelihoods of the people living in these regions through the contribution of sustainable management, utilization of rainwater and encouraging community based water harvesting.

THE PARTNERSHIP OF RELMA AND CSE IN IMPLEMENTING A NETWORK FOR GREEN WATER HARVESTING IN SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA (SEARNET) AND SOUTH ASIA.

What is this partnership all about?
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) based in New Delhi, India and the Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA) of Nairobi, Kenya in December 1999 jointly made a proposal to the Global water partnership (GWP) secretariat based in Stockholm, Sweden for a project entitled "A Network for green water harvesting in Eastern and Southern Africa and South Asia". GWP approved the proposal and arranged for funding from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Project implementation started in June 2002.

Joint cross- regional activities
The CSE/GWP-AP in Eastern and Southern Africa partnership jointly implement several activities that fosters exchange of information and rainwater harvesting practices between the SEARNET and South Asia. The joint network outputs include:
1. Joint website
2. Biannual joint workshops
3. Study tours for professionals and
4. Documentation of cross-regional options on rainwater harvesting