Rainwater harvesting in the Sahel

Okay, so you know how sometimes it rains a lot and other times it doesn't rain at all? Well, in a place called the Sahel, which is a really dry area in Africa, they have a problem where it doesn't rain enough. This can make it hard for people and plants to get the water they need to survive.

So, what some people do in the Sahel is called rainwater harvesting. It's like collecting rain in a big bucket or a cup. Except instead of a bucket, they use something called a cistern or a tank. These are big containers that can hold a lot of water.

When it does rain, the rainwater falls onto rooftops or other surfaces, and it flows down into a pipe that goes into the cistern. This way, instead of the rainwater just disappearing into the ground, it's saved for when they need it.

People in the Sahel use this rainwater for lots of things. They can use it to water their crops and gardens, cook and clean, or even drink if it's cleaned properly first. This means they don't have to use as much water from other sources, which can be really important in a place where water is hard to come by.

Rainwater harvesting is a really helpful way for people in the Sahel to get the water they need to live, even when it doesn't rain very much.