International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA) was created in Geneva in November 2002 following recomendations formulated during the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg two months earlier. The mandate called for federation and unification of the disparate rainwater harvesting (RWH) movement around the world, to promote rainwater as a valuable water resource and to build on achievements in this field for the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals.
In partnership with the most eminent organisations and individuals in the field, the IRHA provides a lobbying and advocacy platform for RWH. It supports the growth of RWH solutions to water supply problems. It also provides a forum for its members to work together or share experiences, and thus for the benefit of people living with water scarcity.
Topic of this issue: Agricultural Rainwater Harvesting
How rainwater harvesting can contribute to the world of farming, including the different systems and methods that are involved
IRHA has identified three regions as hotspots for water-constrained, rainfed agriculture: Africa, South Asia and East Asia. Each of these regions hosts more than 100 million people who live below the poverty line and who depend on rainfed agriculture in water-constrained environments. The total number of people in these three areas constitutes around 80% of all people living in water-constrained, rainfed agricultural areas, amounting to 426 million people (Rockström and Karlberg, 2009)
As the people who would benefit the most from rainwater harvesting are predominantly located in developing countries, it is important that the techniques are relatively cheap and simple to implement and maintain. Rainwater harvesting has the advantage of being made up of numerous different methods, consequently it can be tailored to suit the requirements of the local area and people.
The issue includes the following case studies:
- The Jaldhar Model – A technology developed by PRADAN
- Earthen Embakments in Sukhomajri
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