Revitalising biodiversity and food production with rainwater harvesting: the Zululand Agri-Support Centre's remarkable journey
In 2021, the Siyazisiza Trust began establishing the Zululand Agri-Support Centre on an old farm of 23 hectares. Positioned in Obanjeni, 8 km from Mtunzini and 15 km from Gingingdlovu in KwaZulu-Natal, at the corner of the R102 and P240 roads, the vision for the Centre is to become a beacon of hope and inspiration.
The Zululand Agri-Support Centre (ZASC) stands as a stronghold of support for smallholder farmers. Its purpose is multifaceted: from illuminating the path with demonstration models and cultivating awareness, to nurturing skills through internships, training and mentorship. The heart of ZASC beats with the rhythm of growth, encompassing extension services and fostering market engagement.
ZASC has in a short space of time experienced a high level of success as an experiential training and demonstration centre. In the 6 months of this year alone, 382 farmers embraced the opportunity to learn and grow through courses on food sovereignty, crop production, poultry and livestock management, nursery techniques, and agro-processing.
Beyond its role as a launchpad for smallholder farmers, ZASC envisions a future where it thrives as a vibrant, influential and self-sufficient model of agroecology and circular agriculture. Essential to this vision is the innovative rainwater harvesting system, a cornerstone of ZASC’s journey towards sustainable success.
From its inception, ZASC had leaned heavily on groundwater extracted from a property borehole. However, the high saline and sulphur content of this water posed a grave threat to crop production and ecosystem vitality. Eager to transcend this challenge, the Trust seized the opportunity within their infrastructure – expansive roofing and a disused swimming pool – to craft an ingenious solution.
With the funding support of Camilla Trimble and external expertise, ZASC’s energy-efficient water harvesting system was born. Simple pole and timbers stands were made to elevate 260-litre drums at roof capture points. The drum stands, positioned at 20-metre intervals, optimise water capture during heavy rains (a more common occurrence nowadays due to climate chaos). These drums are connected via a network of irrigation piping to three central 5000-litre tanks, utilising only gravity to pull the water into the tanks. Submersible pumps with float switches enable the seamless movement of water from the tanks to the repurposed swimming pool.
Another pump in the pool enables the stored water to be transported to the seedling nursery or various gardens or fields for irrigation. The wisdom of ZASC’s harvesting system lies in its energy-efficient orchestration of the flow of water from catchment to storage to irrigation.
With an annual rainfall of 680 millimetres and 1,964 metres square of roofing, the annual harvesting potential is 1,335,520 litres. The first phase of the system was completed before the 2021 spring/summer rains, and proved to be highly effective in securing rainwater supply. With an initial capacity of 128,000-litres, the system provided water to the nursery and gardens through till end July 2022, just two months short of that year’s spring/summer rains. This demonstrated that further storage capacity was needed to provide water through the dry winter months.
The FirstRand Foundation supported the second phase, when a small dam was built below the main buildings in the corner of the crop field. The site was chosen specifically to allow overflow from the storage pool to be gravity-fed to the dam and to optimise catchment of surface water. The dam was completed in October 2022, shortly into the start of the spring/summer rainfall period. Several neighbouring farmers questioned the rationale of the dam, concerned that it had neither feed from a natural water course nor an extensive natural catchment area. The primary source of water was intended to be from the water harvesting system and overflow from the storage pool. The holding capacity of the dam is estimated at 2.5 million litres. With the above-average rainfall experienced in early 2023, as of the end June this year the dam was estimated to be 80% full (a total of 2 million litres), primarily collected by the water harvesting system, which is a great testament to its efficacy!
A profound transformation now echoes across ZASC’s ecosystem. The shift from groundwater to rainwater has breathed life into the demonstration and production gardens and fields, enriching both the quantity and quality of their harvest. The flourishing biodiversity at the Centre is a living testament to the value of this paradigm shift, showing that by embracing nature’s wisdom, we can cultivate a future brimming with abundance and vitality! Our deep gratitude to Camilla Trimble and the FirstRand Foundation for their support to make this all possible.
Ukuvuselela izinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo kanye nokukhiqizwa kokudla ngokuvunwa kwamanzi emvula: uhambo oluhle lwe-Zululand Agri-Support Centre
Ngo-2021, iSiyazisiza Trust yasungula i-Zululand Agri-Support Centre kwipulazi elidala elingamahektha angama-23. Njengoba ibekwe Obanjeni, amakhilomitha angu-8 ukusuka eMtunzini kanye namakhilomitha angu-15 ukusuka eGingindlovu KwaZulu-Natal, ekhoneni lomgwaqo u-R102 no-P240, umbono wesikhungo uwukuba isibani sethemba nogqozi.
I-Zululand Agri-Support Centre (ZASC) imele abalimi abancane. Inhloso yawo inhlobonhlobo: kusukela ekukhanyiseni indlela ngamamodeli kanye nokuqwashisa, kuya ekuthuthukiseni amakhono ngokusebenzisa ama-internship, ukuqeqesha kanye nokuqeqeshwa. inhliziyo ye-ZASC ishaya ngesigqi sokukhula, esihlanganisa izinsiza zokwandisa kanye nokukhuthaza ukusebenzelana kwezimakethe.
Esikhathini esifushane i-ZASC ibe nempumelelo ephezulu njengesikhungo sokuqeqeshwa kanye nesiboniso. Ezinyangeni eziyisi-6 zalo nyaka kuphela, abalimi abangu-382 balamukele ithuba lokufunda nokukhula ngezifundo eziphathelene nokuzimela kokudla, ukukhiqizwa kwezitshalo, ukulawulwa kwezinkukhu nemfuyo, amasu enkulisa, kanye nokugaywa kwezolimo.
Ngale kweqhaza layo njengohlelo lokwethula abalimi abasafufusa, i-ZASC ibona ngekusasa lapho ichuma khona njengemodeli ephilayo, enothonya futhi ekwazi ukuzimela ye-agroecology kanye nezolimo. Okubalulekile kulo mbono wuhlelo olusha lokuvunwa kwamanzi emvula, isisekelo sohambo lwe-ZASC olubheke empumelelweni eqhubekayo.
Kusukela ekuqaleni kwayo i-ZASC yayincike kakhulu emanzini anagaphansi komhlanba akhishwe emgodini ongaphansi komhlaba. Kodwa-ke, usawoti omningi nesibabule kula manzi kwabeka encupheni enkulu ekukhiqizweni kwezitshalo namandla e-ecosystem. Ukusebenza kanzima ukweqa lesisimo, iSiyazizisa Trust yabamba ithuba ngaphakathi kwesakhiwo sayo- ukufulela okunwetshiwe kanye nedamu lokubhukuda elingasasetshenziswa- ukwenza isixazululo esihlakaniphile.
Ngosizo lwezimali luka- Camilia Trimble kanye nolwazi lwangaphandle, uhlelo lokuvunwa kwamanzi olonga ugesi lwe-ZASC lwasungulwa. Izigxobo ezilula nezingodo zenzelwe ukuphakamisa imigqomo engamalitha angu-260 ezindaweni zokuthwebula uphahla. Izigubhu ezimile, ezimiswe ngezikhavu ezingamamitha angama-20, zithuthukisa ukuthwebula kwamanzi ngesikhathi sezimvula ezinkulu (into evame kakhulu namuhla ngenxa yezimo zemvula).Le migqomo ixhunywa ngamapayipi okuchelela amathangi amathathu aphakathi nendawo angu-5000- wamalitha, kusetshenziswa amandla adonsela phansi kuphela ukdonsa amanzi emathangini.
Amaphampu angaphansi kwamanzi anokushintsha okuntantayo anika amandla ukunyakaza kwamanzi ngaphandle komthungo ukusuka emathangini ukuya endaweni yokubhukuda ehloselwe kabusha. Enye iphampu echibini yenza amanzi agciniwe athuthelwe enkulisweni sezithombo noma izingadi ezihlukahlukenene noma amasimu ukuze achelelwe. ukuhlakanipha kohlelo lokuvuna lweZASC kusekuhleleni kwayo ngendlela eyongayo amandla okugeleza kwamanzi ukusuka endaweni egcina amanzi ukuya ekuthelweni.
Njengoba kunemvula engamamilimitha angu-680 ngonyaka kanye nophahla lwamamitha angu-1,964, amandla okuvuna ngonyaka angama-1,335,520 amalitha.Isigaba sokuqala sohlelo saqedwa ngaphambi kwezimvula zasehlobo zango-2021, futhi sabonakala sisebenza ngempumelelo kakhulu ekuqinisekiseni ukutholakala kwamanzi emvula. Ngomthamo wokuqala wamalitha ayi-128,000, lolu hlelo luhlinzeke ngamanzi endaweni yokunakekela izithombo ezincane nezingadi kuze kube ekugcineni kukaJulayi 2022, kusasele izinyanga ezimbili nje ukuthi kufike izimvula zalowo nyaka.
I-FirstRand Foundation yasekela isigaba sesibili, lapho kwakhiwa idamu elincane ngaphansi kwezakhiwo eziyinhloko ekhoneni lensimu yezitshalo. Le ndawo yakhethwa ngokukhethekile ukuvumela ukuchichima kusuka echibini lokugcina ukuba kudliwe amandla adonsela phansi edamini nokwenza ngcono ukubamba amanzi angaphezulu. Leli damu laqedwa ngo-October 2022, ngokushesha kuqale isikhathi semvula sasehlobo. Abalimi abaningi abangomakhelwane babuza isizathu saleli damu, bekhathazekile ngokuthi alinakho ukudla okuvela enkambweni yamanzi emvelo noma indawo ebanzi yokubamba imvelo. Umthombo oyinhloko wamanzi wawuhloselwe ukuba uvela ohlelweni lokuvuna amanzi futhi uchichima echibini lokugcina. Umthamo wokubamba leli damu ulinganiselwa ku-2.5 million wamalitha. Njengoba imvula engaphezu kwesilinganiso itholakale ekuqaleni kuka-2023, kusukela ekupheleni kukaJuni kulo nyaka leli damu lalilinganiselwa ku-80% ligcwele (ingqikithi yamalitha ayizigidi ezi-2), ngokuyinhloko eliqoqwe uhlelo lokuvuna amanzi, okuwubufakazi obukhulu bokusebenza kwalo!
Ukuguqulwa okujulile manje kuzwakala kuyo yonke i-ecosystem ye-ZASC. Ukushintsha kusuka emanzini angaphansi komhlaba kuya emanzini emvula kuye kwaphefumula ukuphila ekuboniseni nasekukhiqizeni izingadi namasimu, ukucebisa kokubili ubuningi kanye nekhwalithi yokuvuna kwabo. Izinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo ezichumayo eSikhungo ziwubufakazi obuphilayo bokubaluleka kwalokhu kushintsha kwe-paradigm, okubonisa ukuthi ngokwamukela ukuhlakanipha kwemvelo, singahlakulela ikusasa eligcwele ukuchichima nobungqabavu! Sidlulisa ukubonga kwethu okukhulu kuCamilla Trimble kanye ne-FirstRand Foundation ngokusisekela ukwenza konke lokhu kwenzeke.