Rainwater Harvesting

The Need for Rainwater Harvesting
In many regions, the groundwater level has dropped in the previous decades by desertification and overexploitation for cities and irrigation, as a result of which cheap groundwater extraction is hardly possible and traditional water sources such as the 'stone spout' (Dhunge Dharas) are drying up. Moreover, in many cases water sources lie far from villages, especially in rural areas.

Bad water quality leads to serious health problems; while especially women and children - responsibly for obtaining water – lose much time every day again, at the expense of time spend on economic activity and education

Access to safe water is an important condition for improvement and sustainable development of the living situation of millions people. Rainwater harvesting offers a simple and low-cost solution for the water shortages in many developing countries, among other Nepal.

Moreover, rainwater harvesting can replenish groundwater resources, thereby reviving nearby wells and groundwater pumps.

What is Rainwater Harvesting?
Rainwater Harvesting is a very broad term. It includes different ways of collecting rainwater from rooftops, land surfaces or rock catchments for different uses. Simple collection media such as jars and pots as well as more complex means such as underground or sand dams and large size tanks and reservoirs can be used.

Other techniques are sand dam water harvesting and groundwater recharge. Sand dams are small dams in a V- or U-shaped river bed. Sand and water accumulate upstream from the dam, and water can be extracted from the sand by digging shallow wells or by laying half-open pipes on the river bed under the sand. Groundwater recharge is a technique where rainwater is conveyed to open wells, allowing the rainwater to replenish the groundwater.

Rainwater harvesting systems normally consist of four principal components, namely the catchment area (roof or land surface); the conveying system (leading the collected water, often including a filtration device); the collection space (as small as a jar or as big as a large reservoir); and the tap system (a simple water tap or a pump).

Uses of Rainwater
Harvested rainwater can be used in several ways. If the water quality is controlled, it can be used as drinking water. Other domestic uses such as cooking, washing and cleaning are also possible. Moreover, rainwater can be used to keep sanitation facilities clean and hygienical.

Beside domestic uses, rainwater can also be used to improve (small scale) agriculture, cattle breeding and even small scale industry.

BSP-Nepal mainly intends the rain water harvesting to use water for operating biogas system

Supported by the Rainwater Harvesting Implementation Network (RAIN), BSP has recently designed and constructed five rainwater harvesting systems in the western region of Nepal. These systems can store the total of 230,000 liters of rainwater, serving 1,300 people in five villages (mostly children).

RAIN (Rainwater Harvesting Implementation Network) is an international network with the aim to increase access to water for vulnerable sections of society in developing countries - women and children in particular - by collecting and storing rainwater in water tanks and wells. RAIN focuses on field implementation of small-scale rainwater harvesting projects, capacity building of local organizations and knowledge exchange on a global scale. BSP-Nepal is nominated by RAIN a National Rainwater Harvesting Capacity Center in Nepal. Those who would like to support people who do not have access of water are always welcome to work with BSP-Nepal.

More information about RAIN can be found on the website www.RAINfoundation.org.