RAIN and rainwater harvesting in Nepal: making the drop count!

Nepal lies in the monsoon rainfall zone; however, access to adequate supply of water both in rural and urban areas has become more and more a national concern. Recently, rainwater has been acknowledged by the national government as being a reliable source for water supply. The major reasons why rainwater harvesting is getting more and more attention in Nepal are the difficulties in accessing water due to the difficult terrain i, the seasonal variability of rainfall, the unreliable water availability of current supply systems and the scattered and isolated settlements. People living in these so-called un-served areas are heavily burdened with fetching water each day. Women spend 2 to 5 hours each day, going up and down narrow paths, which is often a very dangerous task. Rainwater harvesting can be the end of this burden..