Rainwater Harvesting Potential Research Articles

Comparison of the Scenario of Rainwater Harvesting Potential in Dhaka City and DWASA’S Supplied Water

Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital is one of the foremost inhabited megacities of the globe. Management and development of sustainable and safe water supply for the city dwellers are completely dependent on ground water and river water availability. The previous years, it has been reflected that Dhaka city experiences water shortage in some areas during the dry season Rainwater harvesting can be an efficient strategy for reducing the present water crisis and minimizing the findings of climate change on water supplies. This study uses rainfall data and the roof surfaces of both residential and business structures to show how rainwater harvesting in Dhaka City could provide a source of potable, clean water. Average rainfall varies from 157 mm to 311 mm in the rainy season. It is found that a maximum of 21% percent of the present water supply can be covered by rainwater harvesting during monsoon.

Rainwater Reuse at the Gonçalo Moniz Institute – FIOCRUZ-BA

This work aims to evaluate the reduction in water consumption at the IGM/FIOCRUZ-BA facilities, evaluating the potential for rainwater harvesting. To this end, the areas of roofs with the potential for reuse of rainwater were surveyed, their capture capacities considering rainfall data, in addition to a survey of the institution’s water consumption. We observed significant results in percentages of reduction in water consumption in the case of rainwater reuse and the potential savings generated when compared with the data effectively spent on the water in the IGM. It can be seen that the capture capacities of the roofs and the pluviometric indices of Salvador can provide potential savings to the Instituto Gonçalo Moniz (IGM).

Use of remote sensing to determine rainwater harvesting sites for piped micro-irrigation schemes in Chimanimani District, Zimbabwe

The eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, particularly Chimanimani District, are endowed with natural water bodies such as springs, pools, wetlands, puddles and river systems, which are potential sources of water for irrigated farming. Despite this, water challenges continue to exist due to rainfall seasonality and lack of suitable water harvesting sites. This calls for solutions to harness water in long-lasting sources to support the piped micro-irrigation schemes. These schemes are pillars in agricultural interventions such as horticulture, livestock farming, fish farming and beekeeping. This study therefore, determined potential rainwater harvesting (RWH) sites in Chimanimani District using geospatial techniques. Water pixels from Landsat 8 images were extracted using the normalised difference moisture index (NDMI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Potential RWH sites were classified into land-based zones, wetlands and natural water bodies. Findings show that land-based zones cover 27.53%, wetlands cover 24.65% and water bodies cover 6.11% of the district. The study also indicates that integrating geographic information systems with remote-sensing tools is a useful approach in identifying RWH sites. Thus, this study provided a spatially explicit approach and presents a suitability map for RWH in Chimanimani District.

Potential of rainwater harvesting in the retail sector: a case study in Portugal

Water is a crucial resource for life, and it is increasingly scarce in many regions of the globe. In addition, retail water use is responsible for up to 19% of public water globally supplied. Hence, this study has set out to explore the technical and economic feasibility of rainwater harvesting systems as an alternative water source for a retail store located in southern Portugal. Water consumption data from 2018 to 2021 was collected from water bills, placing average monthly water consumption at around 400 m3. Next, rainfall data was collected from the nearest meteorological station, comprising 54 years of daily rainfall data between 1932 and 2008 with an annual average of 685 mm. The simulation of a rainwater harvesting system was performed, resorting to the mass-balance model. The optimal tank size was found to be 100 m3 considering simply the relation with the relative water savings variation on the graph relating the water savings with the tank size. Results show that the simulated rainwater harvesting system would allow saving 32–36% of the water consumed, despite the store’s location in a dry climate, representing a financial gain of €330–372 per month. Findings suggest a substantial potential for the technical and economic feasibility of rainwater systems in retail stores, which makes them relevant solutions to achieve important water-savings in the retail sector, thus positively influencing retailers’ direct water footprint.

Identification of sites with potential for rainwater harvesting in the Upper Mixteco River Basin, Oaxaca, Mexico

Los sistemas de captación de agua de lluvia (SCALL) son una alternativa para resolver los problemas de suministro de agua en la Cuenca Alta del Río Mixteco (CARM). Sin embargo, el éxito de la adopción de un SCALL depende en gran medida de su diseño técnico y de la selección de un sitio adecuado para su construcción. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar sitios apropiados para la construcción de SCALL en la CARM, a través de una modelación hidrológica con QSWAT+ (QGIS Interface for Soil and Water Assessment Tool) y el análisis de información geográfica. Se determinó que los sitios con potencial para la construcción de SCALL abarcan 7 % de la superficie de la cuenca, donde se podrán construir presas de contención y tanques de percolación, para macrocaptación y almacenamiento de agua de lluvia; además, terrazas, barreras y zanjas al contorno, para reducir la velocidad de escurrimientos superficiales y la erosión de los suelos. De esta forma aumentará la disponibilidad de agua en la cuenca para diversos usos y se favorecerá la conservación del suelo y agua.

Rainwater Harvesting for Water Conservation in Sanur’s Tourism Harbour Building: A SWMM Simulation

This study focuses on the implementation of rainwater harvesting as a water conservation alternative in the Sanur International Tourism Harbour Building. The research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this technique in reducing the building’s dependence on freshwater resources and to determine its potential as a sustainable water management solution. The implementation of rooftop rainwater harvesting was considered, and SWMM (Storm Water Management Model) simulation was used to model the hydrological processes, including rainfall, runoff, and infiltration in the study area. The model was calibrated using observed rainfall data collected from the vicinity. The results of the SWMM simulation showed that the rainwater harvesting system was effective in reducing the building’s dependence on freshwater resources and that the system can collect an estimated 41.58 m3 of rainwater. This amount is deemed sufficient to support and overall reduce freshwater consumption and contribute to the conservation of freshwater resources in the area. The study demonstrated the potential of rainwater harvesting as an effective water conservation method for buildings in Sanur, Bali. The implementation of such a system can not only reduce freshwater consumption but also contribute to sustainable water management practices in the region.

Assessing the potential of Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) for sustaining small-scale irrigated coffee farming in the Bigasha watershed, Uganda

A study was carried out during 2022 to assess the potential of rainwater harvesting for sustaining small-scale irrigated coffee farming in the Bigasha watershed of Isingiro District, south-western Uganda. In this study, remote sensing, Geographical Information System (GIS), the Quantum GIS Soil and Water Assessment Tool (QSWAT+) and Crop Water and Irrigation Requirements Program (CROPWAT) models were utilised to assess the potential of rainwater harvesting (RWH) that can be used for irrigation. The criteria used to identify suitable RWH sites were based on four factors namely; topography, soils, land use land cover and rainfall. It was found out that seventy per cent of the watershed is hilly with slopes greater than 10 per cent and half of the area is covered by Leptosols. Three temporal land use land cover (LULC) maps (of 1999, 2010 and 2022), were derived using the K-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm. These LULC databases were used to assess the impacts of land use land cover changes on the runoff hence potential for RWH. The annual average rainfall received in the study area over the 21-year period studied (2000 – 2020) was 954 mm which is adequate for irrigation if harvested. The QSWAT+ model simulated runoff depths from 62, 125 and 114 Hydrologic Response Units (HRUs) of the 1999, 2010 and 2022 LULC maps respectively, were used to estimate potential RWH sites. The 114 HRUs from the 2022 LULC map could generate an annual average surface runoff volume of 1.39 million cubic meters (MCM) which could potentially irrigate 101.8 per cent of the current coffee production areas in the Bigasha watershed. The prediction accuracy of the Kagera river basin model was very good with NSE (R2) of 0.81(0.82) for calibration and 0.87(0.88) for validation. The Kagera watershed model fitted parameters were further used to calibrate the Bigasha watershed model. This was done because the Bigasha is a sub-basin of Kagera and it does not have its own gauged outlet.

Determination of Rainwater Harvesting Potential: A Case Study from Ege University

Rainwater is a valuable resource that provides numerous benefits. The necessity of collecting and reusing rainwater has increased in cities where the effects of climate change are prominent. With little effort and a relatively high initial construction cost, harvesting rainwater can be a cost-effective benefit. In addition to its economic benefits it is an environmentally friendly process that prevents the rainwater from going to waste. In this research the roofs of 24 buildings in an area around Ege University Central Campus (Izmir, Turkey), which has a Mediterranean climate, were selected for a pilot project. The amount of rainwater to be harvested was calculated to be 16.570,30 m3. This study determined that the potential rainwater to be harvested from the research area throughout the year could provide 11% of the water required for irrigation of the existing green areas throughout the year and 20% of the water required for irrigation from April to October. Therefore, considering the ratio of the potential rainwater that was harvested during the summer season to the potential rainwater amount that could be harvested throughout the year, this experiment showed the potential benefits of storing the harvested rainwater in the rainy spring and winter seasons throughout the year.

A Google Earth-GIS based approach to examine the potential of the current rainwater harvesting practices to meet water demands in Mityana district, Uganda

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) has become an integral part of global efforts to improve water access. Despite the increasing adoption of RWH in Uganda, there remains a significant knowledge gap in the assessment of RWH systems to meet water demands. In this study, a simplified methodology to estimate rainwater harvesting potential (RWHP) as a function of mean seasonal rainfall and rooftop area, generated using Google Earth and GIS tools is applied. Desired tank storage (DTS) capacities based on user population, demand and dry period lengths, were compared with RWHP to assess whether rooftop areas and tank storage can sustainably supply water for use during the March—May (MAM) and September-November (SON) 90-day dry periods, for three demand levels (i.e. for drinking and cooking (15 litres per capita per day (l/c/d)); for drinking, cooking and hand washing (20 l/c/d); and for drinking, cooking, hand washing, bathing and laundry (50 l/c/d)). Our findings document minimum catchment areas of 60m2 to have rainwater harvesting potential that can sustain households for 90-day dry periods for all three demand levels. However, considering their storage capacities, 25%, 48% and 97% of the existing RWHTs (with storage capacities below 8,000, 10,000 and 20,000 litres respectively) are unable to meet the demand of 15 l/c/d, 20 l/c/d and 50 l/c/d respectively for a 90-day dry period. The results document that the existing storage systems are under-sized for estimated water use under 50 l/c/d demand scenarios. Costs of between 2,000,000–4,500,000 Ugandan shillings (~ 600–1, 250 USD) would be needed to increase existing tank capacities to meet the 50 l/c/d demands for a 90-day dry period. These findings document onerous financial costs to achieve rainwater harvesting potential, meaning that households in Mityana district may have to resort to other sources of water during times of shortage.

Impact of residential rainwater harvesting on stormwater runoff

Population increase, climate change and soil impermeability are factors causing floods in large urban centres. Such places also always have water shortage problems. This research aims to evaluate the influence of rainwater harvesting in residential buildings on stormwater in a basin located in southern Brazil (Rio Cachoeira Basin). Urbanised and non-urbanised areas, soil types, curve numbers and time of concentration of each sub-basin were taken into account. Through the HEC-HMS programme, it was possible to calculate hydrographs for the base scenario (when there is no rainwater harvesting). Then, rainwater tanks for the residential buildings were sized using the computer programme Netuno. In the second scenario, there is rainwater harvesting in all residential buildings. Thus, the hydrographs for the second scenario were also calculated. The peak flow reduction potentials for the sub-basins ranged from 2.7% to 14.3%. The highest percentage (14.3%) did not occur in the sub-basin with the most extensive roof area; such highest peak flow reduction occurred in Bom Retiro sub-basin. In Bom Retiro sub-basin, there are more houses than multi-storey residential buildings. Even when considering the full potential of rainwater harvesting for roof areas of all existing buildings in the Rio Cachoeira Basin, the average potential reduction in peak flow was 7.2%. The conclusion is that rainwater tanks in residential buildings have little influence on stormwater runoff, and the stormwater runoff will be less affected when the area of the hydrographic basin is larger. Thus, the reduction in peak flows is insignificant when considering the flooding in the region.

Exploring the spatiotemporal variations in regional rainwater harvesting potential resilience and actual available rainwater using a proposed method framework

Rainwater harvesting potential provides a basis for alleviating regional drought and water shortages. The resilience of rainwater harvesting potential is directly related to the sustainable level of actual available rainwater. Thus, SWAT model was combined with the proposed rainwater harvesting potential evaluation model to quantify rainwater harvesting potential, its resilience and actual available rainwater in the study area. The results showed that: (1) restoration of forest and grass increased the rainwater resource potential in the study area by 12.41 %, especially in the northeast, central and southwest of the study area. Although the surface runoff increased slightly in the past 20 years, it remained stable at 28.62 % of rainwater harvesting potential, which was benefited from the rainwater harvesting potential resilience to maintain the component stability; (2) rainwater harvesting potential resilience in the study area increased from class II to class III, which was closely related to the 17.93 % increase in the resilience intensity of the study area to resist external interference; and (3) surface runoff and net soil moisture content were the main components affecting the spatiotemporal variation of actual available rainwater, and lateral flow was also the main component affecting the spatial variation of actual available rainwater. In the past 20 years, the actual available rainwater has been increasing, and its conversion rate exceeded 89 %. The high level of actual available rainwater has been expanding to the western region with dense grassland coverage. This study provides a scientific basis for clarifying the sustainable utilization level of rainwater.

Morphometric, Meteorological, and Hydrologic Characteristics Integration for Rainwater Harvesting Potential Assessment in Southeast Beni Suef (Egypt)

In arid areas, the forecast of runoff is problematic for ungauged basins. The peak discharge of flashfloods and rainwater harvesting (RWH) was assessed by the integration of GIS, the RS tool and hydrologic modeling. This approach is still under further improvement to fully understand flashflood and rainwater harvesting potentialities. Different morphometric parameters are extracted and evaluated; they show the most hazardous sub-basins. Vulnerability potential to flooding is high relative to steep slopes, high drainage density, and low stream sinuosity. Using hydrologic modeling, lag time, concentration time, peak discharge rates, runoff volume, rainfall, and total losses are calculated for different return periods. The hydrologic model shows high rainfall rates, and steep slopes are present in the southeastern part of the study area. Low rainfall rates, moderate–high runoff, and gentle slopes are found in the central and downstream parts, which are suitable sites for rainwater harvesting. An analytic hierarchy process is utilized for mapping the best sites to RWH. These criteria use land-cover, average annual max 24 h rainfall, slope, stream order, and lineaments density. About 4% of the basin area has very high potentialities for RWH, while 59% of the basin area has high suitability for RWH. Ten low dam sites are proposed to impact flooding vulnerability and increase rainwater-harvesting potentialities.

Mitigation of Urban Flooding using Blue-Green Infrastructure: A Case of Dehradun City, India

Increasing frequency and intensity of floods caused lives of 6.7 million people between 1920-2020. Rapid urbanization and climate change are the two leading causes of urban flooding. During the past several years, India has seen an increase in the number of urban flooding catastrophes. The city of Dehradun in Uttarakhand, India situated in a valley in the Himalayan foothills, suffers from the contradictory problems of urban flooding due to increase in the builtup area and water supply gaps. The aim of the study is to mitigate urban flooding through blue-green infrastructure development. The study uses Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing to understand Land Use Land Cover (LULC) change in the period 1995-2020 and to estimate the surface run-off generation of this period using the weighted co-efficient and Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) methods. The result reveals that with the blue-green infrastructure, rainwater harvesting potential can be increased to 82.03 MLD and groundwater recharge would increase to 2.66 MLD. With this, the rainwaer harvesting potential becomes equivalent to 37% of the water supply for the design period of 2031.

Identifying Potential Sites for Rainwater Harvesting Structures in Ghazi Tehsil, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Using Geospatial Approach

Rainwater harvesting is an important step towards maximizing the water availability and land productivity in arid and semi-arid areas. The present study shows that the area of Ghazi Tehsil within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, has great potential for rainwater harvesting due to its feasible climatic and topographic conditions. This area of 348 km2 normally receives high rainfall annually, but, due to hilly terrain, the bulk of rainwater is lost in the runoff process. In order to enhance agricultural output for such a large area, the practice of rainwater harvesting is a sustainable and decisive approach. However, the selection of appropriate sites for rainwater harvesting on a large scale presents a critical challenge. In such areas, geospatial technology has proved very decisive in the identification of potential sites. In this study, we have used the HEC-GeoHMS tool (ArcGIS 9.3) to compute a curve number to represent the effects of rainfall against the hydrological soil group and landcover. Subsequently, the curve number was used as an input parameter in the soil conservation service runoff-curve number (SCS-CN) method to estimate surface runoff potential for different combinations of landcover and hydrological soil groups. It was observed that runoff was higher in mountainous areas and relatively low in plain areas. Finally, to identify the potential sites for rainwater harvesting, weighted overlay analysis-based related thematic map layers were further reclassified, and weights were assigned according to the technical guidelines of suggested international standards and under consideration of the study area’s topographic, hydrological, and climatic factors. As a result, about 20% of the area was found suitable, 52% less suitable, and 29% as not suitable. Furthermore, relative suitability was assigned to the results of suitable sites as an input for the identification of potential sites for different rainwater harvesting storage structures. These results show that 10% of the area was suitable for farm ponds, 5.74% for check dams, 21.5% for Nigarims, and 8.9% was found to be suitable for gully plugs. The comparison of our GIS-derived and field-based results spatially affirms that the analyzed results were agreeably overlaid in the context of spatial results for check dams, gully plugs, and Nigarims.

Water Efficiency Households Retrofit Proposal Based on Rainwater Quality in Acapulco, Mexico

Climate change, urbanization, and population growth, particularly in urban areas such as Acapulco, Mexico, put pressure on water availability, where although surrounded by water, the inhabitants lack enough good-quality water, especially in the rainy season. In addition, water scarcity, socioeconomic factors, and infrastructure problems limit the satisfaction of water demand in this context, e.g., operational issues in the water treatment plants and problems in the distribution network caused by hurricanes. The objectives of this research were: (i) to determine the rainwater quality in Acapulco, Mexico; (ii) to propose a domestic water efficiency retrofit (WER) design implementing a rainwater harvesting system (RWHS); and (iii) to determine the RWHS efficiency in terms of economic savings, considering rainwater’s social acceptance for domestic consumptive uses. The WER design was developed in an SFH in Acapulco, Mexico. The RWHS catchment surface area was 29 m2. The device comprises a first-rain separator (20 L) and a storage tank (1200 L). The rainwater harvesting potential (RWHP) was evaluated during the 2020 and 2021 rainy seasons, whereas the harvested rainwater quality (HRWQ) was analyzed in samples from 2021. Alkalinity, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, chlorides, nitrates, sulfates, and heavy metals and potentially toxic metalloids were analyzed. Additionally, 168 surveys were applied to SFH owners to evaluate WER acceptance. Results showed that the RWHP was ca. 44 and 21 L/m2 in 2020 and 2021, respectively. All the rainwater quality parameters met the World Health Organization guidelines for consumptive uses except for drinking water. The perception study showed a 95% willingness to adopt the WER. Due to the RWHP and the HRWQ, the WER of SFHs is a promising solution to address Acapulco hydric stress under the nature-based solutions approach.

Rainwater harvesting and water balance simulation-optimization scheme to plan sustainable second crop in small rain-fed systems

Environmental degradation in the form of water shortage and uncertainty has severely affected the food systems across the globe. Especially in India, which is dominated by rain-fed farmers, the need for sustainable water resource and its management at farm level is imperative for farming livelihoods and food security of the country. Rainwater harvesting in on-farm reservoirs (OFR) can enable crop diversification, year round cropping and seasonal vegetable cultivation in rain-fed farming systems in India. However appropriate sizing of OFR remains a serious concern especially for small and marginal farmers with limited land holdings. In this study, a novel and comprehensive simulation-optimization model was developed to determine the optimal size and utilization of OFR. The simulation consisted of water balance of soil and OFR using hydrological analysis for last 28 years, through which supplement irrigation needs and, rainwater harvesting potential was estimated. Optimal use of available water in OFR was designed using a multi-stage process wherein the model generated, compared and screened appropriate vegetable plans for Rabi cultivation. The model was simulated for different OFR sizes and the optimal size was chosen based on its economic feasibility. To demonstrate the model, a case study was simulated wherein high supplement irrigation was estimated, indicating a severe limitation in rain-fed farming. A minimum OFR size of 9.9% of the total land was required. With an increase in OFR sizes, the profits increased however, the growth rate declined as the cropping area was reduced. An OFR size of 15.5% of total land was found to be optimal which gave benefit-cost ratio and payback period of 2.4 and 6.8 years respectively. Trends in cultivation plans for different sizes of OFR was observed wherein for small OFR sizes, the model generated fewer options of cultivation plans and preferred crops with high water productivity over crops with high profitability. The proposed model is generic and applicable at multiple scales and scenarios. The model could be used by environmental decision makers, farm managers, policy makers and researchers to determine the feasibility of any water resource intervention using an ecosystem centric approach when multiple scenarios of cultivation are possible.

Identification of suitable sites for rainwater harvesting using GIS-based multi-criteria approach in Nusa Penida Island, Bali Province, Indonesia

The critical step in increasing water availability and land productivity in areas with freshwater scarcity, such as arid and semi-arid, is identifying suitable sites for Rain Water Harvesting (RWH). Identifying RWH suitable sites is site-specific due to a wide variety of a region’s characteristics. Biophysical (slope, soil texture, drainage density, land use), hydrological (runoff potential), and socio-economic (distance to road, distance to river, distance to settlement) parameters of the study area were implemented integrating multi-criteria decision analysis (analytical hierarchy processes) and Geographic Information System (GIS) to evaluate RWH suitable sites in Nusa Penida Island, Indonesia. This study’s parameters and hybrid method were effective tools for identifying RWH suitable sites. The result also indicated that approximately 38% of the Nusa Penida Island is highly suited for RWH. These areas are characterized by dryland farming as the dominant land use, gentle slope, high runoff potential, high drainage density, and moderately fine soil texture. The initial identification of RWH potential sites could be valuable information in completing water conservation programs for several purposes. This study’s approach also contributes to developing a suitable RWH identification methodology, especially for dry regions in Indonesia.

Comprehensive Environmental Assessment of Rainwater Harvesting Systems: A Literature Review

The feasibility of installing rainwater harvesting systems in buildings is usually defined based primarily on economic analysis. In this perspective, we reviewed the literature related to water consumption in buildings, rainwater use, and environmental assessment tools to evaluate the impact of rainwater harvesting on the environment. Identifying water end uses in buildings showed a high potential for potable water savings through alternative sources (e.g., rainwater use for non-potable purposes). Most studies reviewed found potential for potable water savings from 20 to 65%. Moreover, the literature reported that rainwater harvesting systems might reduce the runoff volume from 13 to 91%. However, other possible benefits and impacts of the systems on water flow and the environment must be assessed in addition to the potential for rainwater harvesting. Life cycle assessment, life cycle cost assessment, and water balance modelling have been used in urban water management. Most life cycle studies reported that rainwater harvesting systems have better environmental performance than centralised systems. The water balance method may effectively determine the impacts these systems cause on the water cycle. Using life cycle assessment and the water balance method together is essential to evaluating rainwater harvesting systems integrated into the urban environment.

Suitable sites identification for potential rainwater harvesting (PRWH) using a multi-criteria decision support system (MCDSS)

Suitable sites identification for potential rainwater harvesting (PRWH) using a multi-criteria decision support system (MCDSS)

Assessment of Morphometric Parameters as the Basis for Hydrological Inferences in Water Resource Management: A Case Study from the Sinú River Basin in Colombia

The geomorphology of a basin makes it possible for us to understand its hydrological pattern. Accordingly, satellite-based remote sensing and geo-information technologies have proven to be effective tools in the morphology analysis at the basin level. Consequently, this present study carried out a morphological analysis of the Sinú river basin, analyzing its geometric characteristics, drainage networks, and relief to develop integrated water resource management. The analyzed zone comprises an area of 13,971.7 km2 with three sub-basins, the upper, the middle, and the lower Sinú sub-basins, where seventeen morphometric parameters were evaluated using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) tools to identify the rainwater harvesting potential index. The Sinú basin has a dendritic drainage pattern, and the results of the drainage network parameters make it possible for us to infer that the middle and lower Sinú areas are the ones mainly affected by floods. The basin geometry parameters indicate an elongated shape, implying a lesser probability of uniform and homogeneous rainfall. Additionally, the hypsometric curve shape indicates that active fluvial and alluvial sedimentary processes are present, allowing us to conclude that much of the material has been eroded and deposited in the basin’s lower zones as it could be confirmed with the geological information available. The obtained results and GIS tools confirm the basin’s geological heterogeneity. Furthermore, they were used to delimit the potential water harvesting zones following the rainwater harvesting potential index (RWHPI) methodology. The research demonstrates that drainage morphometry has a substantial impact on understanding landform processes, soil characteristics, and erosional characteristics. Additionally, the results help us understand the relationship between hydrological variables and geomorphological parameters as guidance and/or decision-making instruments for the competent authorities to establish actions for the sustainable development of the basin, flood control, water supply planning, water budgeting, and disaster mitigation within the Sinú river basin.