Abstract
Mombasa faces severe water scarcity problems. The existing supply is unable to satisfy the demand. This article demonstrates the combination of satellite image analysis and modelling as tools for the development of an urban rainwater harvesting policy. For developing a sustainable remedy policy, rooftop rainwater harvesting (RRWH) strategies were implemented into the water supply and demand model WEAP (Water Evaluation and Planning System). Roof areas were detected using supervised image classification. Future population growth, improved living standards, and climate change predictions until 2035 were combined with four management strategies. Image classification techniques were able to detect roof areas with acceptable accuracy. The simulated annual yield of RRWH ranged from 2.3 to 23 million cubic meters (MCM) depending on the extent of the roof area. Apart from potential RRWH, additional sources of water are required for full demand coverage.
Highlights
Rainwater harvesting is a technique used to collect and store rainwater e.g., from buildings, rock catchments, and land or road surfaces
The results of manual digitization suggest that the selected control area has around 3 km2 of suitable roofs for Rooftop rainwater harvesting (RRWH)
The results from this study show that the water demand for Mombasa City is expected
Summary
Rainwater harvesting is a technique used to collect and store rainwater e.g., from buildings, rock catchments, and land or road surfaces. Rooftop rainwater harvesting (RRWH) refers to the collection and storage of water from rooftops [4]. RRWH can support the water supply in almost any place either as a sole source or by reducing stress on other sources through water savings. The authors of [7] observed that the most important feature of RRWH at a domestic level is its ability to deliver water to households “without walking”. This is important in developing countries where women and children have to walk over long distances to fetch water.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
