Site Suitability Mapping of Road Water Harvesting Implementations – Research Thesis Presentation

Through the ‘Green Roads for Water’ program Makueni County is at the forefront of utilizing existing and new road infrastructure to capture and manage rainfall and surface runoff effectively. This approach not only enhances water availability but also mitigates rain-related damages in the area. As part of the Drain2Gain project, implemented by MetaMeta and the Makueni County Government, a recent study focused on enhancing road water harvesting techniques in Mbooni Sub-County. The study employed an analytical hierarchy process framework to select and rank several biophysical and socio-economic criteria to determine the most suitable sites for road water harvesting. This method helped create detailed suitability maps, pinpointing optimal locations for various water harvesting structures such as mitre drains, farm ponds, and sand dams. The results of this study showed that this framework has the potential to be an effective tool for preliminary site evaluation, with the ability to incorporate both local and expert knowledge. This study forms the thesis of Joram Niemans, conducted as part of his studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.