An assessment of adoption of rainwater harvesting system in residential buildings in Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mounting water demand due to population growth and rapid urbanization, increasing water usage and associated water wastages make Lahore vulnerable in the context of changing climatic conditions. Lahore Development Authority (LDA), the principle planning agency in the city, introduced rainwater harvesting (RWH) system for residential buildings through clause 5.6.6 of building and zoning regulations 2014. This study explores the application of this regulation and documents associated dynamics. Findings established that a little proportion of residential buildings had constructed rooftop RWH system and yet these were not being used for its purpose. Chi-square and Cramer’s V were used for understanding the factors that influenced behavior of the residents for adoption of RWH. Fittingly, the study discovered that factors that could affect peoples’ willingness to adopt RWH in future were mechanism for incentives and penalties, peoples’ understanding about potential benefits of RWH, and continuing regulatory requirement for RWH supported by adequate enforcement.