Rainwater Harvesting

Needs Address

• Supply of fresh water for domestic use
• Conservation of water resources
• Traditional methods of water management

Adaptation effects

• Increases water security
• Provides a source of freshwater for agricultural use and consumption
• Provides a source of water in periods of drought

Overview and Features

Collection and storage of rainwater for domestic and agricultural use via rooftop harvesting and catchment systems. These can be installed at individual, household and community scale.

Cost

Costs for equipment

Energy source

Human resources to install

Ease of maintenance

Equipment requires maintenance and cleaning

Technology performance

• Enable collection of freshwater as an alternative/ additional  water  source
• Particularly beneficial as an adaptation strategy in urban environments, due to rapidly increasing populations and corresponding lack of access to water – rooftop harvesting particularly beneficial due to efficient use of space

Considerations

• Must have access to appropriate and hygienic water storage
• Water must be treated before consumption e.g. by boiling
• Users must have ownership of house/structure/land upon which harvesting equipment is installed
• Planning processes should include consideration of the intended use of the water and be designed accordingly
• Consideration of the particular context of application must be considered, to account for material availability and  intensity of rainfall 

Co-benefit, suitability for developing countries

• A safe supply of water for improved health conditions
• Can be installed and managed at household level
• Affordable and sustainable
• Traditional technology therefore familiarity with communities enhances sustainability – long history of use and adaptation to context
• Users and community should be involved in the planning, construction and management of this technology
• Can be constructed using locally available materials
• Lack of land or housing tenure can pose a barrier to the implementation of this technology

Information Resources

Critchley, W. and Siegert, K. 1991. Water harvesting. FAO. Available from: http://www.fao.org/docrep/U3160E/u3160e00.htm#Contents [17 January 2015]

Pandey, D.N. Gupta, A.K. and Anderson, D.M. 2003. Rainwater harvesting as an adaptation to climate change. Current Science 85(1). Available from: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/cv/cv_pubs/Pandey2003.pdf [15 January 2014]

SOPAC, 2004. Harvesting the Heavens. South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC). Available from: http://www.pacificwater.org/userfiles/file/Harvesting%20the%20Heavens%20-%20Guideline%28JC0178%29.pdf [17 January 2015]