Rainwater harvesting in Nigeria

In 1986 Oyebande (7) estimated that only 46% of the Nigerian population had access to piped water supply. This leaves much to be desired and long term solutions are called for to improve the situation. In the interim, possible short term options should be examined for their viability. This study has clearly demonstrated the potential role of rainwater harvesting in this regard. An average annual harvestable rainfall of 718 litres per square meter of catchment is available. An individual's annual water requirements could be met from a 13 square meter catchment and a 4-cubic meter storage tank.