Making Water Management Everybody's Business: Water harvesting and rural development in India

As the 21st century approaches, a growing number of countries are facing a crisis in ensuring their expanding populations received adequate, clean water. In India, nearly 44 million people are affected by water quality problems, and availability of water is also a huge problem in many areas, with the per capita availability of water in 2001 expected to be half its 1947 level.

This water crisis is occurring in India despite it being one of the wettest countries in the world. The country currently uses only a small part of its water endowment - there is still huge potential for it to meet its water needs through developing water harvesting systems. With about five to10 per cent of India's land area set aside for rainwater collection, most of India's irrigation and household water needs could be met