Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts Assessment of Using Different Rainwater Harvesting Techniques in Sarida Catchment, West Bank, Palestine

Abstract

A statistically representative questionnaire targeted people using rainwater harvesting (RWH) techniques in rural communities of Sarida catchment,West Bank, Palestine was distributed and analyzed. The main objective of this study is to assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of adopting RWH techniques (e.g. cisterns, concrete and clay ponds, Wadi ponds, earth dams, and stone terraces) in different uses to increase water availability. The results showed a simple sharing of the female component among beneficiaries, while concrete ponds and cisterns were the most used techniques. Actually, social impacts were noticeable by sharing the same RWH structure and reflected to responsibility skills and role exchange increases. On the other hand, RWH techniques showed a significant economic impact for end users represented by enhancing domestic, agricultural,and recreational activities leading to good profit increase. In addition to food security as output, the most important environmental impact was water wasting prevention, which in turn could be linked to sustainable water management and considered as universal challenge for future generations.