The Rainwater Harvesting Solution

The Desert Rainwater Harvesting Initiative was created in response to the ever increasing water crisis facing India's remote rural communities in Rajasthan and from direct requests from villages affected by a recent 4 year drought.

The Initiative aims to provide a year round supply of fresh water for rural communities in drought affected areas of Rajasthan where the Lead Partner has had a long standing presence and ongoing working relationship with the local villages.

If only 1% or 2% of the rain that falls on India was captured, it would be sufficient to meet the drinking requirement of a billion people at a liberal 15 litres per person per day.

The benefits for the local communities will be on three fronts; social, economic and environmental including improved health by providing safe drinking water, enhanced local environments through reforestation and increased ground water recharge, and enhanced local economies through improved agriculture and food supply.

The initial rainwater harvesting activities in Jadan started as a small scale project to construct a traditional rainwater reservoir and provide water delivery via tanker to a surrounding drought affected communities. With the drought extending into its fourth year, it was soon realised through discussion with villagers and from increasing requests for water solutions in communities throughout the wider Rajasthan region that this was an issue on a much larger scale in urgent need of attention.

The initiative aims to provide a year round supply of fresh water for rural communities in Rajasthan.