Rainwater Harvesting for Agriculture in the Dry Areas


Book Description

Dry areas suffer not only from limited rainfall but also ‘natural leakage’—90% of rainwater is lost directly or indirectly, and is unavailable for agriculture or domestic use. Water harvesting is a low-cost, easy-to-use, environmentally-friendly way to recover a large part of this lost water. How does water harvesting work? Which sites or areas are best suited and how can these areas be identified? How to design, build and maintain a water harvesting system tailored to local needs? How can water harvesting contribute to combating land degradation, enhancing food security and adapting to climate change? This book provides the answers. The book is based on many years of research, training and development by three of the world’s leading experts in water management and agriculture. It is authoritative, comprehensive, and easy to read, containing practical examples, many illustrations and little jargon. This volume will be of great interest to researchers, development workers, farmers, policymakers, students of the natural sciences—in fact, anyone interested in efficient, sustainable management of water resources and agriculture.




Rainwater Harvesting for Agriculture in the Dry Areas


Book Description

Dry areas suffer not only from limited rainfall but alsonatural leakage'-90% of rainwater is lost directly or indirectly, and is unavailable for agriculture or domestic use. Water harvesting is a low-cost, easy-to-use, environmentally-friendly way to recover a large part of this lost water. How does water harvesting work? Which sites or areas are




Rainwater-Smart Agriculture in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas


Book Description

This book introduces state-of-the-art approaches, methods and research, focusing on smart management of rainwater. In addition, it provides an overview of projects from across the world, illustrating how rainwater-smart management has been implemented in drylands. Focusing on the scientific perspective it demonstrates how rural dryland agriculture can be improved. It also documents the wealth of rainwater-smart know-how available today, and replicates and transfers results to other countries and regions, to encourage cross-sector interactions among various stakeholders, such as practitioners from governmental and public organisations, policy- and decision-makers, and teaching staff from academic scientific institutions. The contributors showcase vital lessons learned from research, field projects and best-practice examples. They address the integrated use of rainwater harvesting management with landscape restoration practices and water-, and climate-smart agriculture for food security and poverty alleviation in arid and semi-arid areas. Original research, combined with the contributors’ synthetic approach, lays a foundation for new concepts and ideas. Through case studies and research reports, the book discusses all the relevant issues necessary for the comprehensive analysis and successful implementation of the technologies in rainwater management. Highlighting the working principles and technical recommendations with regard to cost-efficient rainwater-smart solutions, it is of interest to practitioners. It is also a valuable resource for academic specialists, professionals and students, since many development agencies are funding rainwater harvesting for irrigation purposes.




Rainwater Harvesting for Agriculture and Water Supply


Book Description

This book offers key resource materials developed for an international training course on Rainwater Harvesting and Utilization hosted annually by the Gansu Research Institute for Water Conservancy in Lanzhou, China since 2003. Topics cover the design, construction and management of rainwater harvesting systems for domestic water supply and supplementary irrigation, rainwater quality issues and runoff farming. It presents case studies from successful rainwater-harvesting projects both in China and around the globe, and provides readers with essential information and inspiration alike. It is a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners and students in the area of water management, agriculture and sustainable development. Qiang Zhu is a research professor at Gansu Research Institute for Water Conservancy, Lanzhou, China; John Gould is a rainwater harvesting consultant based in Christchurch, New Zealand; Yuanhong Li is a research professor at Gansu Research Institute for Water Conservancy, Lanzhou, China; Chengxiang Ma is an engineer at Gansu Research Institute for Water Conservancy, Lanzhou, China.




International Rainwater Catchment Systems Experiences: Towards water security


Book Description

From time immemorial, people have been managing rain. The availability of water and water sources determined where people would be able to live. Adequate rainfall decided on the quality of agriculture. Technical advances and finance may have enabled societies to inhabit big cities and expand agriculture into dry areas, but only because of the resource rain provided through the water cycle. Due to population growth, pollution, and climate change, water scarcity will be one of the most critical problems all around the world in the next 15 years. Today, around 10% of the world’s population lacks a proper water supply service. Harvesting rainwater and using it for drinking, domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses will help to supply quality water to urban and rural populations. Divided into four sections, basic concepts, narratives of RWH, programs implemented by diverse sectors of society, and notable cases, the book summarizes experiences from 14 different countries all around the globe, developed and developing countries, urban and rural areas. The subject of this book is related to the promotion of different international rainwater experiences that provides sustainable water services and climate resilience, including technical aspects and socio-cultural and policy affairs. This book was written for all people interested in sustainable rainwater management. Students, people just starting in the subject, and experts will find this book interesting as it creates an overview of rainwater harvesting practice and technology all around the world. We encourage all readers to read these stories and arguments at your leisure. Some many ideas and techniques can be picked up and applicable for serving the last 10% that is waiting for water security and proper water service.




Handbook of Water Harvesting and Conservation


Book Description

Water harvesting is gaining more and more recognition as the sustainable and resilient alternative to other water supply options. It is economically viable, socially compatible and environmentally friendly. Water harvesting has proven to be a robust solution to overcome or reduce water shortages all over the world. To apply this in a sustainable and effective way, it is important to understand exactly where it can be applied to make full use of its potential. The Handbook of Water Harvesting and Conservation: Case Studies and Application Examples is the most comprehensive, up-to-date and applied casebook on water harvesting and conservation yet published. The editors bring together the many perspectives into a synthesis that is both academically-based and practical in its potential applications. The Handbook of Water Harvesting and Conservation: Case Studies and Application Examples will be an important tool for education, research and technical works in the soil, water and watershed management area, and will be highly useful for drought strategy planning, flood management and adaptation to climate change in all urban, agricultural, forest, rangeland areas.




Rainfed Agriculture


Book Description

Rainfed agriculture is generally overlooked by development investors, researchers and policy makers due to limited confidence in its ability to increase agricultural production and development. However, research undertaken by a team of leading scientists from global organizations demonstrates its potential in achieving food security, improving livelihoods and most importantly addressing issues of equity and poverty reduction in dryland areas - the hot spots of poverty. On the basis of case studies from varied agricultural and ecological regions in Asia and Africa, chapters discuss the need for adopting new paradigms between rainfed and irrigated agriculture, catchment/micro-watershed management approaches, upgrades in science-based development and more investments in rainfed areas. Yield gaps for major rainfed crops are analysed globally and possible ways and means including technological, social, and institutional options to bridge the yield gaps are discussed in detail. Covering areas such as rainwater harvesting and its efficient use, the rehabilitation of degraded land and assessment methods for social, environmental and economic impacts, this book will be necessary for both academics and policy makers working in water management, agriculture and sustainable development.







Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond


Book Description

« "Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 1' is the first book in a three-volume guide that teaches you how to conceptualize, design, and implement sustainable water-harvesting systems for your home, landscape, and community. The lessons in this volume will enable you to assess your on-site resources, give you a diverse array of strategies to maximize their potential, and empower you with guiding principles to create an integrated, multi-functional water-harvesting plan specific to your site and needs. »--




Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 2, 2nd Edition


Book Description

2020 independent Press Award Winner--Green Book Category Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 2 is a how-to guide enabling you to "plant the rain" by creating water-harvesting "earthworks" or "rain gardens." Earthworks are simple, inexpensive strategies and landforms that passively harvest multiple sources of free on-site water including rainfall, stormwater runoff, air conditioning condensate, and greywater within "living tanks" of soil and vegetation. The plants then pump the water back out in the form of beauty, food, shelter, wildlife habitat, timber and forage, while controlling erosion, reducing down-stream flooding, dropping utility costs, increasing soil fertility, and improving water and air quality. This revised and expanded full-color second edition builds on the information in Volume 1 by showing you how to turn your yard, school, business, park, and neighborhood into lively, regenerative producers of resources. Conditions at home will improve as you simultaneously enrich the ecosystem and inspire the surrounding community. Learn to select, place, size, construct, and plant your chosen earthworks. All is made easier and more effective by the illustrations of natural patterns of water and sediment flow with which you can collaborate or mimic. Detailed step-by-step instructions with over 550 images show you how to do it, and plentiful stories of success motivate you so you will do it!