Policy and institutional challenges in promoting rainwater harvesting for domestic use in Malawi's cities and towns

Given the current domestic water shortages in Malawi's cities, towns and market centres, this paper examined the use of roof-top rainwater harvesting for domestic use. Analyses of water sources for Blantyre and Lilongwe cities, 12 market centres and towns and 4 rural districts have shown that there is low usage of rain water harvesting (RWH) for domestic use in Malawi's cities, rural towns and market centres (0.2%). The paper further analyses the policy and institutional factors contributing to the low use of roof-top RWH at a time when Malawi's cities and towns have a shortage of domestic water.

The analyses indicate that while the Malawi National Water Policy has encouraged Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) through which rainwater harvesting could be promoted, the Water Works Act (1995) has not allowed for extraction of multiple water sources within the Water Board's catchment areas in cities, towns and market centres. While the Water Department has the mandate to promote IWRM from multiple sources (including roof-top rainwater harvesting) and for multiple uses it is constrained because the implementing agencies (Water Boards) in cities, towns and market centres, have no financial incentive for promoting, operating and maintaining rainwater harvesting works in cities and towns since it is non-revenue generating. There is need to re-define roles of key stakeholders in the provision of RWH technologies in cities, towns and market centres of Malawi.