Rainwater Harvesting Practices Research Articles

EFFECTS OF RAINWATER HARVESTING PRACTICES ON BIOMASS YIELD AND MORPHOMETRIC TRAITS OF SORGHUM (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) IN SEMI-ARID KITUI COUNTY, KENYA

<p><strong>Background</strong>: Sorghum is an important source of fodder in the semi-arid areas of Kenya. However, its biomass yield has remained low due to the low soil moisture content which is associated with low rainfall. <strong> Objective:</strong> To evaluate the synergistic effects of combining rainwater harvesting practices on biomass yield and the morphometric traits of sorghum in semi-arid Kitui County. <strong>Methodology</strong>: The study was conducted in a randomized complete block design under rainfed conditions between March and August 2021 at the Research Farm of South Eastern Kenya University. It had twelve treatments, including three farming systems (conventional flat planting, ridge and furrow, and zai pits) with three soil mulching types (transparent plastic film mulch, black plastic film mulch, and grass mulch). The farming systems without mulching were used as control treatments. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means were separated using Fisher’s protected Least Significant Difference test at 0.05 %. <strong>Results:</strong> The zai pits with black plastic film mulch and flat planting with grass mulch had the highest and lowest moisture content of 68.65% and 52.5% respectively compared to flat planting. The highest biomass yield was observed in ridge-furrow with black plastic film mulch (3283.33kg ha-<sup>1</sup>) and ridge–furrow with transparent plastic film mulch (3266.03) and was not significantly different. The lowest biomass yield was recorded in conventional flat planting and zai pits and was not significantly different. In all treatments, there was a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in morphometric traits. <strong>Implications: </strong>The farming system and the type of soil mulching determined the increase of soil moisture content, biomass yield, and morphometric traits. <strong>Conclusion</strong>: Combining ridge-furrow and black plastic mulch is recommended to improve the biomass yield of sorghum in semi-arid Kitui County, and other areas with similar agroecological conditions.</p>

Evaluation of Groundwater Suitability for Drinking Purposes Using GIS and WQI in Chikkaballapura Taluk, Karnataka, India

In the present study, groundwater samples were analysed to determine the suitability of groundwater for drinking use in Chikkaballapura taluk (CBT) in 2019. The tests were conducted on the groundwater twice a year, during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The results of 12 physico chemical parameters were used for the calculation of the water quality index (WQI). ArcGIS was used in the study to plot the spatial variation of chloride, nitrate, and fluoride. In urban areas, WQI ranged from 42.94 to 204 during the pre-monsoon season and from 62.67 to 153.93 during the post-monsoon season. Similarly, in rural areas, WQI ranged from 47.78 to 245.98 during the pre-monsoon season and from 35.92 to 405.63 during the post-monsoon season. The results of the WQI show that most samples fall into poor water categories according to the quality rating scale. Also, the results revealed that both in Chikkaballapura rural (CBR) and Chikkaballapura urban (CBU), most of the groundwater samples exceeded the drinking water quality limits during the pre-monsoon season when compared to the post-monsoon season. High levels of fluoride were found in Thippanahalli, Doddapailagurki, Poshettihalli, Kuppahalli, Mandikal and Ajjivara grama panchayaths and a significantly high concentration of nitrate was found in Addagallu and Manchanabele grama panchayaths during the pre-monsoon season in CBR. It was suggested that constant monitoring of groundwater quality in contaminated areas be carried out to prevent further deterioration and related problems and that rainwater harvesting practices be encouraged to help reduce the load on urban and rural water supply systems.

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

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

Determinants of rainwater harvesting practices in rural communities of Limpopo Province, South Africa

ABSTRACT Most rural parts of South Africa’s Limpopo Province are faced with limited water access, provision, and inadequate infrastructure for water reticulation. With over 80% of the provincial population living in rural areas, water availability for domestic and agricultural use has become a source of concern. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) has emerged as an important source of alternative water supply for underserved communities during the summer rainfall season. RWH refers to the collection, storage and conservation of surface runoff for agricultural production and domestic uses. This study assessed the socio-economic characteristics and determinants of RWH practices in rural communities of Limpopo Province. Descriptive statistics were used to describe households’ socio-economic characteristics and logistic regression was used to examine the determinants of RWH practices in rural communities. The analysis was based on a survey of 478 households selected using convenience and purposive sampling techniques. The key findings indicate that a significant number of households (63.8%) practised RWH to augment available water for domestic use, albeit few households used the harvested water for portable use. Further analysis showed that a majority of those who adopted RWH practices were female (64.24%). The results of the empirical models indicate that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between perception, age and level of education in determining the adoption of RWH practices. The findings underline the importance of understanding the adoption of RWH in rural communities and highlight the vital role of education, knowledge, and income in rural communities with limited or no access to a water supply. The study highlights the need for policy to promote the benefits of harvesting rainwater for domestic use.

Strengthening adaptive capacity of rural farming communities in Southeast Asia: Experiences, best practices and lessons for scaling-up

This article highlights the experiences, contributions, and lessons generated from the ten selected APN capacity development programmes implemented from 2011-2019 and focused on enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacity of rural farming communities in Southeast Asia. These capacity development projects employed varying strategies and approaches. Some projects centred on training and building the technical capabilities of service providers, while others have directly trained and built the capacities of the farming communities. Some projects emphasised the promotion of nature-based and sustainable farming techniques such as agroforestry, conservation farming, rainwater harvesting, and indigenous agricultural practices that helped farming communities cope and adapt to climate change impacts. At the core of these capacity development programmes are collaboration and partnerships that were built and institutionalised among different sectors, such as academia, local government units, and the farming communities. These multisectoral collaborations hastened the project implementation and generation of project outputs and gave way to the sustainability of the project initiatives. These projects have generated numerous outputs that paved the way for enhanced social and human capital development of various stakeholders, science-based decision-making by policymakers; adoption of sustainable farming techniques and technologies; and knowledge generation and advancement of science. More importantly, these projects have developed a model for enhancing the adaptive capacity and resilience of rural farming communities in Southeast Asia.

Rainwater Harvesting Practices and Its Effectiveness in Kathmandu Metropolitan City

Water scarcity has been a major problem of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). Different interventions are being attempted to solve this problem including the highly discussed Melamchi Drinking Water supply project. Thus, so rainwater harvesting (RWH) could be a promising approach to satisfy water to some extent. The study has aimed to assess the status of rainwater harvesting practices in KMC and to examine its effectiveness in overcoming the water shortage. A total of 244 households were surveyed covering 32 wards of KMC through random sampling method and semi structured questionnaire forms were laid for the data collection. The annual rainfall data of interval 30 years (1990-2019) of KMC, collected from department of Hydrology and Meteorology for trend analysis. Study revealed 58.2% of households are practicing RWH and among them 63.2% installed RWH system more than five years ago. About 63% of households are practicing roof top harvesting which is found to be more convenient in terms of cost and space. Strong positive correlation (R2=0.876, r=0.942) was observed among amount of water harvested and space occupied by RWH system and was statistically significant (P <0.05). Harvested water is found mainly used for household’s chores, flushing toilets and watering the garden. Majority (95.8%) of respondents did not prefer harvested water for drinking due to its poor water quality, high contamination and bad odor and taste. About 73.2% of the respondents decontaminate harvested water before using and filtration (63%) is found to be most common and effective method for decontamination. Despite of challenges like leakages of storages and gutters, about 87.3% of respondents are strongly satisfied with RWH system as it reduced the municipal water supply bill and provides excess water for the sanitation. Furthermore, the trend analysis showed increment of rainfall in the area by 1.21 mm per annum. Study regarding governmental incentives for the installation of RWH system, availability and accessibility of quality products, training on installation and sanitary management of RWH system would help to shed further light in the aspects of RWH.

Influence of rainwater harvesting practices on the sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) grain yields in the sub-tropical deserts of Sudan ​

Food security is climate dependent in the Darfur region, Sudan; ultimately, the extreme drought events have derailed the region into “the world’s first climate change conflict”. Most of the ongoing climate resilience efforts in the region depend on rainwater harvesting (RWH) practices. The objective of this study is to be better understanding of the variability in the performance of the adopted RWH practices in the Darfur region. Datasets of 148 farmers were collected during the year 2022 through a structured questionnaire in the South Darfur state and analyzed based on two different modeling frameworks in the R package: the deep machine learning (the Bagging algorithms) and the logit models. The dependent variable is the rainfed sorghum grain yield, and the independent variables were RWH practices, education level, family size, and distance to the farm. The standardized precipitation index (SPI) explained that every two years the region is experiencing a drought event (1980-2015), with an annual rainfall of 396 mm ± 100 mm. About 82% of farmers mainly adopted RWH for food security in face of the decreased rainfall. The adopted RWH practices (mainly terracing) have increased sorghum grain yields by 72% - 147%. The best grain yield is associated with spate irrigation, and the poorest with illiteracy. The large family size ( greater than 9 people) and good education level offset the negative impacts of both illiteracy and the longer distance to the farm. The terracing and terracing + mulching + deep tillage (as a single package) practices were the most laborious and unsustainable practices in the Darfur region, and are not recommended, especially when the farm distance is greater than 5 km

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.

Modern Use of Traditional Rainwater Harvesting Practices: An Assessment of Cisterns’ Water Supply Potential in West Mani, Greece

Water has always been a driver of human civilization. The first human civilizations thrived in places with an abundance of water, typically nearby large rivers as the Tigris–Euphrates, Yang Che and Nile. The invention and construction of hydraulic infrastructure came only later, in prehistoric times, triggered by the expansion of humanity in water-scarce areas. The ancient Greeks invented impressive hydraulic works and small-scale structures, some of which, such as cisterns, were still fully operational until the 20th century. We present a model that explains the use of cisterns in the water-scarce area of West Mani, which allows us to assess the potential of this traditional rainfall harvesting practice to support the modern water supply needs. To assess the system’s reliability, we employ a long-term simulation of a typical cistern system, using synthetic rainfall series from a stochastic model, and assuming variable water demand on a monthly scale. We show that a proper restoration of the cisterns could be sustainable as a complementary water supply source, decreasing the area’s drinking water cost and increasing the locals’ resilience against water shortages. In addition, we highlight the links between the area’s hydroclimate and its history and discuss the cultural merits of reviving and preserving this centuries-long practice.

Awareness and Adoption Level of Farmers Towards Water Harvesting Practices

Rainwater harvesting has multi uses as it can be used for watering gardens in our homes and crop plants in agricultural fi elds. Water requirement is mainly supplied by supplemental crop irrigation due to low and uncertain annual rainfall dryland regions. These reduce the reliance of farmers on other sources of water supply to save money. The harvested water can also be committed to longer-term storage or groundwater recharge. Rainwater harvesting and its utilization have a very important role to play in harnessing the production potential within dryland systems. The study was undertaken in Fatehabad and Hisar districts of Haryana to assess the Awareness level of farmers about and to assess the Adoption level of farmers about water harvesting practices during monsoon. The results of the study concluded that a majority (78.75%) of the respondents were aware about Rainwater harvesting practices during monsoon season, 76.25 per cent of the farmers were aware about 'Rainwater harvesting and storage by diff erent methods, about three-fourth (70.00%) of respondents were aware that ‘Rainwater harvesting reduces the cost for pumping of groundwater’. About one-third (35.00%) of the respondents were fully adopted 'Laser Land Leveller technology to harvest rainwater uniformly in the fi eld followed by 'Field bunding of farm for rainwater harvesting (31.25%), and 27.50 per cent of the respondents were adopted Rainwater harvesting schemes initiated by the Govt. of Haryana. It is also suggested a movement for popularizing the water harvesting practices should be started among farmers and villagers by all agricultural departments to save the water for further & future use for diff erent purposes

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) yield response to rainwater harvesting practices in the semi-arid farming environments of Zimbabwe: A meta-analysis

Rainwater harvesting practices are increasingly gaining recognition as viable adaptation strategies to overcome rainfall variability caused by climate change in semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe. A meta-analysis was conducted to provide a comprehensive quantitative synthesis of biophysical conditions (rainfall, soil texture, N fertility, mulch) under which basins, rippers, and tied ridges affected sorghum yields in semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe. Rainfall amount (<600 mm, 600–1000 mm), soil texture (20 % clay, 20–35 % clay), mulch (basin + mulch, ripper + mulch, tied ridges + mulch), and fertility (0–30 kg N/ha, 30–100 kg N/ha) were used to evaluate the response of sorghum grain yield to rainwater harvesting practices. Grain yield response was compared to the control (conventional practice) using the weighted mean yield difference approach. The results showed comparable sorghum grain yields in all the rainwater harvesting practices across the biophysical conditions, except under rainfall and soil textural classes. Tied ridges had a significant (p < 0.05) negative sorghum grain yield response (−0.25 t/ha) under <600 mm of rainfall, while ripper planting resulted in a substantial negative grain yield response (−0.32 t/ha) under 600–1000 mm of rainfall. Ripper planting reduced grain yield significantly (p < 0.05) (−1.06 t/ha) in soils with 20–35% clay. The results suggest that basins, rippers, and tied ridges did not improve sorghum grain yield across all agronomic conditions.

Environmental fate and health exposures of the geogenic and anthropogenic contaminants in potable groundwater of Lower Ganga Basin, India

The study evaluated the sources and controlling factors of the groundwater contaminants in an agroeconomic region of Lower Ganga Basin using principal component analysis (PCA), multivariable linear regressions (MLR), correlation analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis, and evaluated the public health risks using the Latin Hypercube Sampling, goodness-of-fit statistics, Monte Carlo simulation and Sobol sensitivity analysis based on the 1000 samples collected in two sampling cycles (N = 1000). The study reveals that the dissolution of fluoride-bearing minerals and semi-arid climate regulate the fluoride concentrations (0.10–18.25 mg/L) in groundwater. Extensive application of inorganic nitrogenous fertilizers and livestock manure mainly contributed to elevated nitrate levels (up to 435.0 mg/L) in groundwater. The health risks analysis indicates that fluoride exposure is more prevalent in the residents of each age group than the nitrate and both contaminants exhibited higher non-carcinogenic health risks on the infant and child (minor) age groups compared to adolescents and adults. Based on the cokriging interpolation mapping, the minor residents of 17.88%–23.15% of the total area (4545.0 km2) are vulnerable to methemoglobinemia whereas the residents of all age-groups in 38.47%–44.45% of the total area are susceptible to mild to severe dental/skeletal fluorosis owing to consumption of untreated nitrate and fluoride enriched groundwater. The Sobol sensitivity indices revealed contaminant levels, groundwater intake rate and their collective effects are the most influential factors to pose potential health risks on the residents. Artificial recharge and rainwater harvesting practices should be adopted to improve the groundwater quality and the residents are advised to drink purified groundwater.

Effect of contour rainwater-harvesting and integrated nutrient management on sorghum grain yield in semi-arid farming environments of Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT The application of insufficient amounts of mineral fertiliser, coupled with unreliable precipitation, has caused a drastic reduction in the yield of sorghum in the smallholder-farming areas of Zimbabwe. This calls for innovative interventions to improve production under changing climatic conditions. This study evaluated the effect of contour-based rainwater-harvesting methods and the use of cattle manure + N nutrient amendment on sorghum yield. A split-split plot experiment was conducted where rainwater-harvesting practice, sorghum variety, cattle manure + N and distance from rainwater-harvesting structure were treatment factors. The results showed that the yield of sorghum was significantly higher under the tied contour and infiltration pits than standard contour at all distances from rainwater-harvesting practices and seasons. In all seasons sorghum varieties Macia and Sc Sila showed higher yield under the tied contour and infiltration pits than standard contour. However, regardless of the distance from rainwater-harvesting practice and season the sorghum variety, Macia showed a higher grain yield than Sc Sila. At each incremental level of N application to cattle manure, Macia had a higher grain yield than Sc Sila, and no significant grain yield benefits were shown in each variety at N application to cattle manure above 50 kg N ha−1.

Identifying suitable sites for rainwater harvesting using GIS &amp; Multi – Criteria Decision Making techniques in Badghis Province of Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, about 1/3 (12.5 mln) of the total population have no access to stable water supplies such as groundwater extraction, stream flow diversion, and reservoir storage. In areas with limited water sources, rainwater harvesting (RWH) can improve the availability of potable water. Due to RWH flexibility and applying different criteria, it can be used in various settings, making RWH a viable option for local communities. Within this study, suitable RWH sites were identified based on modern technological approaches (GIS and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM)) considering different biophysical criteria selected according to the requirements of the target area environment. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) Model and hydrology tools were used as MCDM and GIS-based decisions, respectively. The proposed methodology was implemented in the target area of 11,772 km2. The obtained land suitability map was divided into five (5) RWH zones: highly suitable (7.84% of the total area), suitable (21.85%), moderately suitable (31.15%), marginally suitable (27.85%), and not suitable (11.31%). The research results show that highly suitable and suitable sites (3,495.47 km2) are located in mountainous zones with good elevation potential, proper valley shapes, and large catchment areas. RWH practices in these areas can be considered as renewable and sustainable alternatives to water demand saturation. In addition to being a solution in terms of providing water to water-scarce areas, RWH installations represent a good climate change response and water resource management means.

Pollution in rainwater harvesting: A challenge for sustainability and resilience of urban agriculture

Water plays a pivotal role in urban agriculture. Although rainwater harvesting (RWH) is viewed as a sustainable route for crop irrigation at an urban setting, rainwater contaminants challenge the RWH practices due to potential threats to the health of crops, soil, and human (i.e., farm workers and food consumers). This frontier review article first recognized principal pollutants of irrigation concern in harvested rainwater based on literature data and crop irrigation demands. Major traditional pollutants, likely exceeding irrigation quality criteria, include particles, some toxic metals (e.g., Cd, Cu, and Zn), certain synthetic organic chemicals (e.g., agrochemicals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and waterborne pathogens. Recent concerns have also been directed toward contaminants of emerging concern, such as per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, though the information regarding their occurrence and impacts on urban farming remains limited. This study subsequently identified challenges, knowledge gaps, and research needs for RWH irrigation at urban farms. Five aspects are highlighted, including the role of roof, nutrient management, development of RWH treatment tailored for urban crop irrigation, water quality monitoring, and the interactions between water, crops, and soil. The information and perspectives offer a basis to explore technical strategies of RWH irrigation for supporting sustainable and resilient urban agriculture.

The Effectiveness of Rain Water Harvesting for Sustainable Practices in West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

This study was conducted in West Hararghe Zone, Oromia regional state to evaluate rain water harvesting Effectiveness for sustainable practices. The data were collected from a total 336 household selected randomly. The data’s obtained were analyzed qualitatively. The study reviled that Rain water harvesting is one of the most important means to increase agricultural productivity and source of a domestic water supply for drought prone of Western Hararghe Zones. Specifically, in selected kebeles of Miesso district there is no access of perennial spring and river. Ground water also found at very deeper and can’t be extracted by their current economic and educational status. In line with this about 83.6% of the farmers were implemented rain water harvesting practices on their farm land and communal land to minimize the risks associated with scarcity of rainfall. From these value 97.3% were in Miesso district. In agreement with this, 54.8% of the house holders have been using roof top water harvesting system in this study area. Specifically, about 25% of the respondents use roof top water harvesting system in Miesso district. Additionally, about 30.1% of the farmers were constructed family pond on their farm land for vegetable/horticultural crop production, cash crops (chat) and also for livestock. Contour ridges were implemented by 89.3% and 92.4% of the farmers in Miesso and Habro districts, respectively. Similarly, 73.8% of the respondents in the study area were implemented flood water diversion to their farm land. Accordingly, 30.8% and 20.5% of the respondents from Habro and Miesso district state preferred flooding WH system than others techniques.

Rural people's intention to adopt sustainable water management by rainwater harvesting practices: application of TPB and HBM models

Abstract Water is the prerequisite for human adaptation to climate change and is the key link among climatic conditions, humans, and the environment. Human behavior can mitigate the impacts of climate change. The present study aimed to evaluate rural people's readiness for sustainable management of water resources. To achieve this goal, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Health Belief Model (HBM) were used as the research framework. The research instrument was a closed-end questionnaire developed on the basis of TPB and HBM. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts in sustainable agriculture. Its reliability was also checked in a pilot study by calculating Cronbach's alpha, the average variance extracted (AVE), R2, and composite reliability (CR). The research sample was composed of 480 villagers from Hamadan province, Iran, who were familiar with sustainable water resources management in the context of the rooftop rainwater harvesting project. The results showed that in TPB, the variables of moral norms, attitude, and self-identity could account for 61 percent of the variance in rural people's intention to adopt the practices of sustainable water resources management. Based on HBM, the variables of perceived benefits, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity could capture 49 percent of this variance. The results revealed that both theories had the potential to predict rural people's intention to engage in the sustainable management of water resources, but TPB proved to provide a more robust prediction than HBM.

Urban water security: a comparative study of cities in the arid Americas

In this study we analyse how three cities in the arid Americas have addressed urban growth while facing water scarcity: Hermosillo, Mexico; Mendoza, Argentina; and Tucson, USA. We use the urban water security framework to examine five domains of water management: sociodemographic, economic, technological, ecological and governance (SETEG). Our analysis indicates that, in spite of water scarcity, urban growth has been promoted in the three cities. We argue that this expansion, although encouraged for economic development, is not sustainable in the long term. In the three cities, groundwater plays a major role in water supply, but growth has negatively affected riparian ecosystems, the health of the aquifers and access to domestic water. In order to pursue water security, several options are essential to enhance social–ecological system resilience. These include limits or reduction of urban expansion, reuse of treated effluent for riparian conservation, and community conservation efforts such as rainwater harvesting and other green infrastructure practices.

Growing Characters of Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) in Response to Different Rainwater Harvesting Practices in Semi-arid Region of the Loess Plateau in China

In semi-arid and arid areas, crop growth is mainly limited by low rainfall (mm). Using plastic film-mulched and special soil tillage can be employed to harvest limited rainfall for crop growth so as to assure food production. The objective of this work was to find out how to exploit limited rainfall (mm) to increase yield of proso millet. Effects of different rainfall harvesting systems based on plastic film-mulched in proso millet were managed in semi-arid regions of Loess Plateau in 2010-2012, and soil type that study involved was calciccambisols. The hypothesis was that proso millet could improve growth and yield of proso millet by using rainfall harvesting system. Experiment designed three rainfall harvesting systems based on plastic mulched and no mulching (NM) as a control. A flat plot with no mulching was a control (NM), the width of furrow was 60 cm with 60 cm wide ridge (P60), the width of furrow was 60 cm with 100 cm wide M-shaped ridge (M160), and the width of furrow was 40 cm with 40 cm wide W-shaped ridge (W80). Control plot and systems were laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. Only the ridge was mulched with white plastic film. The results showed as follows: rainfall harvesting systems based on plastic film-mulched could increase water content of topsoil by 19.6%-43%, move up in temperature of topsoil by 0.1oC-2.7oC, improve agronomic traits (P=0.05), and increase yield by 96.8%-115.3% (P=0.05) and WUE by 120.2%-179.3% (P=0.05) compared with those of NM, respectively; “W-shaped” system performed advantage enough among all rainfall harvesting systems, increased water content of topsoil and temperature of topsoil, and separately increased yield and WUE of proso millet by 115.3% and 179.3% compared with those of NM =0.05) in three growing seasons; average rate of yield increase of proso millet in all rainfall harvesting systems tended to be quadratic function correlated with the rainfall (mm) (R2=1); rainfall harvesting systems had better effect on improving plant heights at early growing stage of proso millet than those at later growing stage. The hypothesis was supported by these findings that suggested rainfall harvesting systems with plastic film-mulched could improve yield and water use efficiency of proso millet and have affection effectively at early growing stage of proso millet, increasing yield of rainfall harvesting system was limited by abundant rainfall (mm) and had to be suitable for 250 mm-300 mm rainfall of growing seasons for proso millet; “W-shaped” system performed well in semi-arid areas.

Agro Pastoralist’s Perception and Willingness to Participate in Water Harvesting Practices in South Omo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

This study was conducted to assess agro pastoralist’s perception and willingness to participate in water harvesting practices that could improve their decision to construct and manage water storage technologies at individual household level or community level in the study area. A total of 192 agro pastoralist’s households were assessed and 92.7% of them were willing to participate in rainwater harvesting practices and the rest 7.3% were not. Of the willing respondents 27.53%, 54.49% and 17.98% preferred clay lined pond, plastic lined pond and aboveground tank water storage technologies. And also the study specified the binary logistic for the participation decision and multinomial logistic for the choice decision model to identify factors that affect participation decision on water harvesting technologies and preference of water storage technologies. Accordingly, estimation of the binary logistic model showed that labor availability, distance to water source, perception towards water harvesting practice, age of respondent and credit services significantly affect the willingness of agro pastoralists to participate in water harvesting technologies. Whereas labour availability, ownership of plot, plot distance and area of particular plot affect the choice decision of agro pastoralists on rain water storage options among alternatives in the study area. It can be concluded that policy makers must give attention on factors affecting perception/participation decision of agro pastoralist’s in water harvesting works and their preference among water storage options, and on gender issues in the planning/implementation of water harvesting activities.