Demonstrating Education for Sustainable Development through Rainwater Harvesting in Institutions of Higher Learning in Kenya: The Potential at Kenyatta University

Abstract

The challenge of water scarcity is increasing in most countries of the world with potentially severe negative effects on human well-being and sustainable development. This paper reports on the hirtherto untapped potential of rainwater harvesting across public universities in Kenya, using Kenyatta University as the case study. Roof catchment footprints were mapped quantified using Geographic Information System procedures. Rainfall data was obtained from the university meteorological station and analysis for general trends from 2005 to 2017. Volumes of harvested water were calculated by obtaining the product of actual area of the roof catchment and rainfall received in millimetres. Results show that mean monthly rainfall ranged from 15-180 mm, averaging 75 mm. Annual and monthly totals, including rainfall days fluctuate a lot and have been declining since 2005. All roofs have gutters and drainage pipes but lack rainwater storage tanks. Therefore, significant quantities of harvested water are immediately lost as runoff water. For example, the Central Administration Complex, the Post-Modern Library and the Business Services and Student Centre roof catchment loss on average 290,800, 465,300 and 289,700 litres per month respectively. The socio-economic and ecological effects of such avoidable loss cannot be overemphasized. As centres of excellence in leadership education, universities can demonstrate sustainable water resource management as envisaged in the UN framework of education for sustainable development by integrating the complete rainwater harvesting infrastructure particularly appropriate plastic tanks in new project design and implementation, and when auditing all old buildings. To mainstream such environmental stewardship in strategic management requires the establishment of an environmental office in the university anchored on ISO 14001:2015 certification. Here-in is the discussion on leadership gap this article hopes to kindle.