South Asian Rain

  In Bangladesh, over 20 million of the country’s population in coastal rural areas have no access to safe drinking water. The water issues that constantly affect the communities include arsenic contamination of groundwater, salinity issue caused by climate change, water-borne diseases, and having to spend considerable time fetching water from ponds in distant areas. In the coastal areas of Bangladesh, the annual average rainfall is more than 2000mm and further, the rainwater is free from arsenic, iron, salinity, and less contamination of germs than pond water. A survey conducted by the Institute of Sky Water harvesting in 2011 in coastal areas of Bangladesh found that the average expenditure on medical expenses to treat water borne diseases and for buying water including transportation was close to 3000Tk. It also meant that if brought  a tank for 3000 Tk, they could reduce their overall household costs for water and medical treatment. The Institute of Sky Water Harvestin...

Landslides that occur because of monsoon rainfall on the mid-hills of Nepal pose a threat to the communities occupying the mountainous terrain. Climate change has compounded the problem with the irregular nature of the monsoons. In this context, the ‘Rain Communities” pilot project has been seeking measures to reduce the risks associated with situations of heavy rainfall. The project has used several approaches and methods to understand and seek solutions to the problem. One such was the Participatory, three-dimensional mapping. This Participatory, three-dimensional mapping exercise helps to obtain an understanding of societal vulnerabilities associated with landslides and to identify where erosion-prone slopes can be re-vegetated to prevent soil erosion. To the east of Pokhara ‘Rain Communities’ project designed to increase passive rainwater retention in watersheds located. The project adopts an ecosystem-based adaption approach (EbA), combining community-based climate change ad...

  Mizoram is in the northeastern part of India. The area is hilly and has a significant tribal population in the state. In Mizoram, the traditional water sources are the tuikhurs: the springs . The observations of the community were that due to deforestation, soil erosion, and shifting cultivation practices the water retention capacity of the soil has been reduced and many of these springs were drying up during the summer. Reduction and variation of the rainfall was observed since 2011.These variations can be attributed to climate change. The village communities have installed rooftop rainwater harvesting in storage containers with attached taps, which are fixed on the surface through horizontal gutters from tin sheeted roofs of the houses in community halls, schools, and government offices. The installation of the rainwater containers was done with over 30% of the community contributions alongside the support of the government. The community attended to the operation and main...