Water management during droughts

 By JAMES LARAKI

WATER is essential for survival. It is used in many different ways – from household use to gardens and livestock. Household uses include cooking, drinking, washing and laundry. 

There is plenty of water and our rivers continue to flow during rainy periods. 

This is normal sight in Papua New Guinea. 

But these sources could easily dry up during a drought. 

Most have water flowing underneath the dried up riverbeds. 

In instances where the water sources dried up completely, the little amount that can be found must be managed wisely. 

Wise management of water is something most our people do not possess given the general mentality that water can always be found. There are certain ways involved in managing water. These include : Locating water, using water carefully so that the source’s life is prolonged and treating water before use.

Locating water

Rivers and creeks are the main source of water for most of our people. In such instances, people and animals alike use the water source and most times, contamination occurs. 

When the water sources dry up during a drought, water can still be found flowing under the dry bed. 

In such cases, wells should be dug in the middle of the dry bed and the water found be allowed to collect into a pool and left to clear.  Leaves should be placed on the surface of holes to prevent contamination. When dirt has settled, clear water should be fetched carefully with cups for household use.

In cases where water is still running, animals and humans should not be allowed to bath in the river or creek. 

Water should be drawn in a bucket or dish for laundry and washing. This should be done away from the banks to minimise contamination.

Where the water source is underground and a well is used, the well should be fenced in. If in cases where the water dries up, the well should be dug deeper for water below the normal level. Care should be taken as children and animals can fall into them.

In wet marsh or swamp areas, most often the greenest spots are those that have water underneath. These areas should be marked and shallow wells dug. 

Leaves should be used to cover these holes as water collects. It would be best to harvest all the water collected and cover the holes for future harvesting.

Treatment of water

All water collected for drinking or cooking should be should be left in clean containers for dirt to settle down. 

Once dirt is settled, clear water on the top should be transferred to bottles for boiling to kill any harmful organisms.

Water for cooking should be the next lot that is transferred. This should be boiled before food is added into the pot. Water left in the base should be used to do dishes, washing or laundry. 

Prolonging source and 

use of water

Most natural sources of water have their limits and so they can dry up after a while. For example, water levels in tanks depend on how much is used. In most cases, when water is plentiful, wasting is likely to occur. To prevent wasting of water, vital steps must be taken. Some of these steps include :

• Always collect enough for household use if more than one family uses the water source;
• strong fences should erected around water sources where possible;
• left over water after cooking and drinking be made available to livestock;
• soapy water from laundry and dishes should be used to water gardens. This can help control some insects and pests;
• all water use should be restricted to buckets, dishes or other containers where water can be recycled; 
• avoid using in-built showers. Temporary showers should be built so that water is recycled for other purposes;
• children should be encouraged to share showers or baths to minimise the use of water;
• plants should deep watered once a week. This means making small drains around the base of plants and pouring water into these drains. Wells should be made on the top of mounds to water plants that grow on them;
• water should be introduced slowly and a bit at a time for maximum soaking and preventing run off;
• the use of sprinklers should be stopped, with hoses being placed at the base of each plant to flood the area around it. This deep watering helps roots of plants to grow deep and away from the surface heat;
• houses with fencing around them, especially in towns should have beans growing onto them. Small patches of land should be used for kitchen gardens. This is so that gardens can benefit from used water;
• gutters and down pipes should be fixed for maximum water collection during rains before drought and dew during a drought, and,
• Washers in leaking taps should be replaced.

Make sure everyone in the family understands the importance of, and wise use of water. Where appropriate people should make efforts to source simple irrigation systems and try them out to ensure they prepared and may resort to using them when the need arises.