STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Rainwater Harvesting: Sustainable Resource for Agriculture

BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM

 History of Rainwater Harvesting

Capturing and storing of rainwater goes back thousands of years to when we first started to farm

the land and needed to find new ways of irrigating crops. In hotter climes, catching that intermittent

rainfall often meant the difference between life and de ath for communities. Whilst the need to

conserve water fell away with greater urbanisation in the last thousand years, we are once again

returning to this ancient and vital part of greener living.

Rainwater harvesting in ancient times

Civilisations in the Indus Valley were far more advanced than we may think nowadays. In many of

the ancient cities that still remain, we can still find huge vats that were cut into the rock to collect

water when there was torrential rainfall. These were used to keep th e population and local

vegetation going in hotter, dryer times and were fed by numerous stone gullies that weaved their

way through the city. Some of these rock vats are still used today in parts of India.

Another technique that has been used for hundreds of years in India is to build water harvesting

systems on top of the roofs of houses. It’s a simple technology that has spread across the world,

particularly to countries such as Brazil and China.

The technology of rainwater harvesting is deeply rooted in the social fabric of India with a variety

of ancient methods still found today. These include:

 Talibs: Medium to large sized reservoirs that provide irrigation for plants as well as drinking.
 Johads: Dams that are used to capture and keep rainwater.
 Baoris: Wells dug into the ground that are often still used for drinking.
 Jhalaras: Specially constructed tanks that are used for the local community and religious purposes.

The Romans and rainwater harvesting

During the time of the Roman Empire, rainwater collection became something of an art and

science, with many new cities incorporating state of the art technology for the time. The Romans

were masters at these new developments and great progress was made right up until the

6 th Century AD and the rule of Emperor Caesar.

One of the most impressive rainwater harvesting constructions can be found in Istanbul in the

Sunken Palace which was used to collect rainwater from the streets above. It’s so large that you

can sail around it in a boat.

Later rainwater harvesting

In the 17 th Century the small island of Malta built an aqueduct to collect rainwater for its growing

population. It was a popular way of getting water to the people but as new methods of building

houses and supplying water improved with things like water pipes and reservoirs, the technology

of rainwater harvesting stalled over the following centuries.

The other thing that stopped using collected rainwater for many towns and cities was also the

prospect of spreading disease. The Sunken Palace in Ista nbul stopped using the water for drinking

many hundreds of years ago and the caches that Arab tribes kept across desert lands have mainly

fallen into disuse. With increased urbanisation, the need for effective rainwater catchment hasn’t

been a major concern except in countries where the climate dictates it and water is in short supply.

Modern Rainwater Harvesting

Go into any garden store in the UK and you will no doubt be able to see various plastic butts that

are designed to collect rainwater so that we ca n water our gardens and keep the plants in good

health during any dry period. There’s no doubt that climate change has got us thinking about water

conservation again, especially with the supply companies beginning to put their prices up. The

general consensus is that letting all that rainwater go to waste is no longer acceptable. It can be
collected and that can help reduce water bills. In other words, is not only a good idea ecologically,

it makes sense financially.

Recycled water can be used for a variety of daily tasks from washing clothes, flushing toilets and

even cleaning the car. With the possibility that we could face more prolonged drier periods in the

near future, the onus is on us all to conserve what we consume and make the most of what comes

to us free of charge from the sky.

Rainwater harvesting across the world

While we may be some way behind in our rainwater recycling, the rest of the world has been

embracing it more and more in recent years. The UK sustainable homes policy now argues that

houses should have an underground tank that can be used to collect rainwater for various washing

tasks. Most new builds in China and Brazil now incorporate rooftop rainwater harvesting technology

whilst many countries are making it law to be greener when it comes to our most vital commodity.

In many states in the US, until recently, rainwater harvesting was actively discouraged but new

legislation is beginning to come in to make it possible for individual houses to incorporate the

technology to save water for their homes.

In Israel, they are beginning to install rainwater harvesting devices in schools as a way of teaching

kids the value of water conservation and in South Africa research is well under way to find new

ways of employing catchment technology.

The future of rainwater harvesting appears to be in fairly good shape and the great thing is that
many modern systems can be installed with a minimum of effort.

Link: https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk/rainwater-harvesting-information/the-history-of-rainwater-
harvesting.html
RELATED STUDIES:

RAINWATER HARVESTING FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Water is an important resource that is used in our daily lives. It used in vitally important sectors of the
economy, such as the agriculture sector. Farmers use water to grow crops. Not only is water used to grow
crops, it is also used to process agricultural products before they can be sent to the marketplace. Even
when they reach markets and are bought by consumers, water is still needed to transform raw food items
into edible forms. Water is indisputable an essential resource used by everyone linked to the agriculture
sector.
Water conservation is increasingly being encouraged in crucial sectors of the economy, such as the
agriculture sector. This is fuelled by an increasing demand for water and growing concerns of water
scarcity in the society. The United Nations even considers water availability to be a major issue for the
21st century.
A commonly asked question regarding water conservation is how do we conserve water? It is noteworthy
that water can be conserved in many ways. One way to conserve water is through rainwater harvesting.
Rainwater harvesting is simply the act of collecting rainwater during and/or after rainfalls. Once rainwater
has been collected, it is treated and stored for re-use.
Rainwater harvesting has agricultural uses. It can be used for watering gardens in our homes and
crop plants in agricultural fields. These reduce the reliance of garden owners and farmers on
other sources of water supply, thus saving them money.
Also, we are in a climate change era where intense rainfall is expected. And it can damage agricultural
land areas. Rainwater harvesting can be used to divert heavy rainfall from reaching agricultural
lands, thereby protecting crop plants from getting damaged.
One good property of rainwater is that it is a soft form of water and does not impact plants negatively.
Unlike hard water, that adds calcium carbonate to crop plants, forming a coating on the
roots/leaves. When such coatings are formed, it prevents plants from receiving the maximum
amount of the water, minerals, fertilizers and pesticides that are supplied to them. It also prevents
plants from receiving maximum sunlight, thereby slowing down photosynthesis.
Furthermore, the use of soft water from rainwater harvesting can help to reduce farmers operating costs.
This is because calcium carbonate from hard water normally piles up in pumps or sprinklers causing
blockages. When such equipment is blocked, money is used to unblock their pathways. In contrast, such
problems are not usually associated with the use of soft water in farming operations, thus reducing the
cost to maintain crops.
More so, the use of hard water from water mains in farming operations causes scale formations on plants-
due to the Calcium Carbonate contents of hard water. These formations promote the growth of bacteria
that is capable of damaging crop plants. However, such scale formations are not linked with the use of
soft water from rainwater in farming operations, make it safe for plants. Also, rainwater can be used as a
source drinking water for livestock. And it is suitable for livestock compared to chlorinated water.
Furthermore, rainwater can be used to carry out domestic tasks in the farm such as cleaning machinery.
Zakari Ajia, Permaculture Research Institute

LINK: https://rainwaterresources.com/latest-news/rainwater-harvesting-sustainable-agriculture/
 RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM

WHAT IS RAINWATER HARVESTING?

Rainwater Harvesting is the practice of collecting rainwater run-off from a roof and then storing it for
use. Rainwater harvesting is environmentally friendly as harvested rainwater may be used for irrigation,
laundry, flushing, process water and with additional treatment may be utilize as drinking water as well.

The Philippines is a tropical country with rain falling almost half of the year. However, places like Baguio
City, despite having ample rain falling, the country still experiences water shortage during summer. This
is where collecting and managing rainwater can be useful. Collecting rain and storing it will ensure that
there is water stored for summer use instead of it simply going to waste down the drains causing floods
during the rainy season.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

 Virtually all debris, moss, leaves, insects, is washed through the uniquely constructed vertical
filter by self-cleaning action
 No restriction or obstruction of water flow
 Up to more than 90% efficient
 Low and Easy Maintenance
 Corrosion Proof
 High quality stainless steel filter mesh

WHERE CAN IT BE USED

Rainwater can be successfully harvested from almost anywhere, from a small house, to a large factory, to
a farm, from a school to most building. Harvested rainwater can be utilized by almost any
industry. Variable system set-up is available based on the application and/or need.

UPDATE ON RAINWATER IN THE PHILIPPINES

The good news is that as of 2015, some cities in the Philippines like Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Mandaluyong,
Quezon City have taken the initiative to adapt and implement Green programs that requires the
installation and utilization of a Rainwater Catchment System. Cities like Baguio and Cagayan de Oro are
not far behind. The Green Building Code prepared by the DPWH is another program that shows a
growing commitment and realization by the Philippine government of the benefits of Green technologies
such as the Rainwater Harvesting / Catchment System.

Link: http://www.watercare.com.ph/rainwater.html
SIGNIFICANCE
Through rainwater harvesting system that we have in the Philippines, it provides the needs in
agricultural industry in our country. The alternative ways and studies conducted to sustain water for our
agriculture especially in the province wherein the water resources are far from the farmland. We can say
that the rainwater is the best resource for our agriculture.

REFERENCE
 History of Rainwater Harvesting
https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk/rainwater-harvesting-information/the-history-of-rainwater-
harvesting.html

 RAINWATER HARVESTING FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

 RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM