Scaling-Up RainWater Harvesting with
Farm Ponds
The Billion Dollar Business Plan
Dennis Garrity, Drylands Ambassador, UNCCD
Maimbo Malesu, Coordinator, SearNet
Alex Oduor, Programme Officer, Water Management
Elsabijn Koelman, Communications Officer, SearNet
The Need & Opportunity
• Most of Africa (Approx. 43%)
is Drylands characterized by
– low & erratic rainfall thus
economic water scarcity.
• These have led to high
vulnerability, low incomes &
chronic food insecurity
• However, RWH with runoff
farm ponds, which increases
household resilience is a
popular solution in
guaranteeing water
availability during dry spells
& drought.
Significance/Rationale of farm ponds’ • By availing water during crucial times, ponds increase HH
resilience
• A pond enables a HH to produce a high value diversity of crops
• Farm ponds have lately proved worthwhile in contributing to the success of livestock production
• If treated with locally available resources such as Moringa and Cactus Opuntia, pond water can be portable for domestic use
• They can support HH tree nurseries for evergreening the land with fruit, fodder, fuelwood, medicine & timber trees.
Case examples of farm pond success
Kenya • Lare Sub-county: Farmers with support from Rotary Clubs
installed >5000 ponds & commercialized their farm operations. – Tree cover is increasing – Farmers have a contractual arrangements to produce peas
for processing/packaging at a nearby Factory • Makueni county, a similar process is underway supported by
ICRAF, WFP, Kenya Govt., Red Cross & NDMA. – The value chains developed using pond water include;
mangoes and poultry Rwanda • In 10 ASAL districts: The government is literally overseeing the
installation of farm ponds by interested stakeholders Ethiopian • The government is engaged in facilitation of rapid expansion of
farm ponds in the drylands through as integrated watershed management approach.
High density of farm ponds in Lare sub-
county, Kenya
What does it take to enable millions of small-
holder farmers to install & benefit from farm
ponds?
THE SEARNET BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS
PLAN This is an integrated farm pond support
system capable of sustaining massive
upscaling of the technology
Its time to think big!!
The SearNet Billion Dollar Business Plan for
Massive Up-Scaling of RWH Ponds
Other potential slides for use
Clear space
Last text line
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Minimum clear margin for text
Size and position of
picture
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Proportions 100 x 48
Proportions 100 x 34
Proportions 100 x 14
Fixed margin
Title: top of 1st line
Title: bottom of 2nd line
W O R L D A G R O F O R E S T R Y C E N T R E
June 8, 2015
Experiences from SearNet
Clear space
Last text line
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Minimum clear margin for text
Size and position of
picture
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Proportions 100 x 48
Proportions 100 x 34
Proportions 100 x 14
Fixed margin
Title: top of 1st line
Title: bottom of 2nd line
W O R L D A G R O F O R E S T R Y C E N T R E
June 8, 2015
Experiences from SearNet
Pond Liner
Clear space
Last text line
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Minimum clear margin for text
Size and position of
picture
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Proportions 100 x 48
Proportions 100 x 34
Proportions 100 x 14
Fixed margin
Title: top of 1st line
Title: bottom of 2nd line
W O R L D A G R O F O R E S T R Y C E N T R E
June 8, 2015
Experiences from SearNet
Clear space
Last text line
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Minimum clear margin for text
Size and position of
picture
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Minimum clear space between picture and text
Proportions 100 x 48
Proportions 100 x 34
Proportions 100 x 14
Fixed margin
Title: top of 1st line
Title: bottom of 2nd line
W O R L D A G R O F O R E S T R Y C E N T R E
June 8, 2015
Experiences from SearNet
Community mobilization
Pond operation: Abstracting water for agricultural use
Tree nursery
Woman signing up for a micro credit loan