Lessons on being water wise
Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world. It also has been going through a prolonged period of drought called the ‘big dry’ over the last several years. Ninety eight per cent of Australia’s 20 million people live in cities, making it one of the highest urbanised nations.
Vast chunks of land inland are dry and barren and so a majority of the cities are on the south-eastern coast. As the country grapples with this scarcity there are lessons for India to be learnt. A recent conference on Rainwater Harvesting and Water sensitive urban design ( www.rainwater2007.com) provided a perfect platform for learning. Here are some lessons from Down Under.
Dealing with climate change
Look at climate change seriously: While it is not clear as to whether climate change is the cause for the recent dramatic decline in Australia’s rainfall, the nation has become the first to model its likely continental shoreline
climate impact especially on water resources. It is investing heavily in understanding and coping with climate change.
Incentives for installing rainwater tanks: The rural areas had already a tradition of people depending on rainwater tanks for all their needs. This is now sought to be brought into cities with subsidies as incentives. People are instal
ling 2,000 litre to 50,000 litre rainwater tanks and using them for non-potable purpose.
The city of Brisbane is the leader with one in eight houses having a rainwater tank. A thriving industry has developed around the rainwater tanks and appurtenances like first flush and filters and even underground storage of different kinds are available off the shelf. Competition keeps prices down and technology is improving dramatically.
Urban design
Water-sensitive urban design is a must: Australian cities guzzle water. The single largest consumer is the landscape. A series of efforts are on to change to natural vegetation and move away from the water-intensive landscape. This has
brought back bio-diversity of a kind never seen in cities. With the nation’s unique bird and animal life, it is a pleasure to see the ring-tailed possum moving about amiably in parks in the cool evening hours and the kookaburra’s laugh is now getting more common in many parts of the city.
Treat the catchment well: Run-off from urban catchment carry pollution and end up in the beautiful beaches and oceans of Australia. A clean-up is under progress. Beautiful walking trails along the coastline inform the public about the
damage that can be caused by such litter as cigarette stubs on the roads of the city. Safe disposal of garbage is ensured with a view to avoid non-point sources of pollution.
Run-off from lawns which may carry fertilizers and pesticides are being managed through detention and retention systems. Water quality is now dramatically improving along the coastlines though much remains to be done.
Manage floods using rainwater tanks and retention/detention basins: While the big drought is on, it is equally true that when the rains come they bring copious water, causing flooding. Rainwater tanks, retention ponds which hold water
and release it gradually and detention ponds which hold water for a long time all manage soil erosion and local flooding very well.
Use grey water wisely
With drip irrigation and mulching it is possible to send grey water into pebble beds to infiltrate the soil and cultivate plants and trees. Wonderful habitats are being created around neighbourhoods and in individual lots using grey water.
Codes have been formulated on its appropriate handling and use.
S.VISHWANATH
www.rainwaterclub.org
www.arghyam.org
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