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THE PHILIPPINES

  • 14/10/1998

Rainwater harvesting started in the country in 1989 as a part of an income-generating programme assisted by the International Development Research Centre, Canada.

Under the programme, some 500 storage tanks with capacities between two cubic metre (m3) and 10 m3 were built in the Capiz Province. The project involved building a frame of steel I reinforcing bars and a wire mesh on a sturdy concrete foundation. The tanks were then plastered to prevent corrosion. The financing was innovative. Income-generating facilities, such as piggeries, were set up to facilitate the repayment of short-term loans given for making the tanks.

The technology, cost-effective and culturally acceptable, required minimal maintenance limited only to annual cleaning and repairs, and proper fencing. Costs [of storage varied from US $0.17/m3 to US $0.37/m3, depending on the type of catchment, conveyance and materials used. These compare favourably with construction of both deep and shallow wells.

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