With the onset of climate change, water scarcity is quickly becoming a major concern for many countries. World Wildlife Fund estimated about 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population is expected to suffer from water shortages. Climate change is altering the local weather patterns leading to droughts in drier areas and flooding in other areas. In 2018, Cape Town (South Africa) introduced the concept of “Day Zero” whereby most of city’s tap water supply was shut down to curtail water usage. In July of 2019, signs of a similar “Day Zero” surfaced in parts of India. On the other hand, the annual rainfall in India for that year was above normal compared to the previous years as reported by the India Meteorological Department. Therefore, the water scarcity during the year can be attributed to mismanagement of the rainwater. Proper planning and rainwater harvesting systems can help in not only recharging the groundwater but also reducing the municipal water consumption of the households.
Continue reading “Why you should harvest rainwater?”