(3 minutes read)
- FAO has built six water ponds in Rwanda to meet country’s need for meeting safe drinking water and for agricultural purposes
In Rwanda, more than one-third of farmers have limited access to clean water. They also have very limited availability of water for irrigational purposes. Dependence on rainfall is the only option left to many. For the purposes of drinking water, people travel distances to fetch water. Water borne diseases are also common due to non-availability of safe water. as most people need to travel far to fetch water for consumption and irrigation.
Local water agency releases water to the rural communities only for a few hours a day. That too during night or very early in the morning, causing a lot of inconveniences to the local people. To improve water management, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) built six water ponds to support local farmers of the Yanze Horticulture Production Cooperative (YAHOPROC).
Also Read:
https://trendsnafrica.com/government-of-rwanda-to-lease-land-in-gabiro-agribusiness-hub-project/
https://trendsnafrica.com/indian-company-to-locally-produce-phytomedicines-in-rwanda/
https://trendsnafrica.com/rwandas-agricultural-export-revenues-at-record-high/
The Yanze river’s water is collected in the ponds. Then water is brought from the ponds to the fields by three solar-powered pumps. This helps provide a constant source of water that is evenly distributed to all the fields. Even those that are most difficult to reach due to the hilly terrains, can be supplied with water for irrigation and household purposes. The result is that farmers are now able to grow vegetables all year long and sell their production to buyers. The solar-powered pumps save fuel costs for the farmers and help increase the production.
