Water Harvesting Techniques Research Articles

Innovative and Cost Effective Water Harvesting and Value Addition in Agriculture for Sustainability: Case Study of Kitui and Wajir Counties, Kenya

The agricultural sector, especially in semi-arid regions like Kitui and Wajir Counties in Kenya, faces challenges of water scarcity and inconsistent agricultural yields due to erratic rainfall patterns. This study was underpinned by Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF). The study assessed how water harvesting techniques contribute to improved water efficiency and agricultural productivity, while also examining the role of value addition in ensuring sustainability. Using a descriptive research design, the sample size for the study comprised of 25 farmers and 34 agricultural extension officers and county government officials. Data was collected using both structured questionnaire and Key Informant Interviews (KII). Quantitative data collected from farmers was analyzed with the aid of SPSS using both descriptive statistics and inferential analysis to assess effect of level of adoption of innovative water harvesting techniques on improvement in water efficiency and agricultural sustainability. The qualitative data collected was analyzed thematically through content analysis. The study's findings, were presented on tables and narrative form, giving analysis of the current state of water harvesting and value addition practices and their role in agricultural sustainability. The findings revealed that cost-efficient value addition practices had significant effect on agricultural sustainability in Kitui and Wajir Counties, Kenya, with an R-squared value of 0.584, indicating that these practices explain 58.4% of the variation in agricultural sustainability outcomes. Regression coefficients demonstrated a significant positive effect of value addition practices on sustainability, with a coefficient (B = 0.669, p-value = 0.000). The study concludes that cost-efficient value addition practices play a crucial role in improving agricultural sustainability by enhancing resource efficiency, market access, and profitability for farmers in these counties. In view of the findings, the study recommends that government and agricultural stakeholders should implement financial support programs, such as subsidies and grants, to alleviate the initial costs of adopting value addition practices.

Atmospheric water harvesting as a sustainable and resilient resource in arid climates: gaining insights from ancient techniques

ABSTRACT Fog and dew, or atmospheric moisture, are valuable complementary resources. Ancient civilisations exploited these resources in harmony with the environment, though information on their techniques is fragmented. This review provides insights into the efficiency, evolution, and relevance of ancient atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) techniques from 5000 B.C. to the 1900s, alongside modern techniques. An analytical framework and assessment are presented to deduce their viability for replication, revival, restoration, or redevelopment. Modern fog collectors yield an average value of 3–10 L/m2/day and dew collectors 0.3–0.6 L/m2/day. Ancient fog collectors from Mexico and Chile resembled modern collectors, while fog drip from trees offers a natural alternative, collecting 70 L/m2/day. The stone drip method shows potential in urban areas with extensive concrete surfaces. Ancient dew collection techniques include alchemists' dew collectors, lithic mulching for soil water conservation, dew ponds for water retention, and stone-pile condensers, which collected up to 360 L/day. Air wells, however, were less effective. Ancient AWH techniques offer valuable insights and can effectively supplement modern collectors, enhancing resilience and water security, especially in arid regions. Implementing AWH techniques provides sustainable, decentralised, nature-based strategies on a micro and macro scale for mitigating contemporary water shortages amidst increasing climate challenges.

Rainfall characteristics under changing climate in Sundergarh district of Odisha

Most pronounced signal of warming world is the increase in intensity and frequency of extremeevents worldwide. Many researchers have reported the nature of these events in coastal district of Odisha, but forSundergarh district which comes under North-western Plateau Agro-Climatic Zone, it still needed to be studied. Thepresent study was conducted with an objective to study rainfall characteristics - rainfall climatology, rainy days, trend -their deviation and resulting meteorological drought in Sundergarh district of Odisha at block level using 34 years ofdaily rainfall data (1988-2022). IMD classification for rainy days was adopted to determine the frequency of rainy days indifferent categories. SPI was computed using Climpact to determine the occurrence and severity of meteorologicaldrought and identify episodes of dry and wet events during the study period for each block. MK test and Sen’s slopeestimator was used for detecting trend in rainfall (annual and seasonal) and rainy days at 95% significance level. Longterm rainfall analysis reveals that the mean annual rainfall of the district is 1290 ± 314 mm, most of which is receivedduring SW monsoon (86%) followed by post-monsoon (6.2%), pre-monsoon (5.7%) and least during winter (2.1%).Rainfall received in the months of July and August together accounts for more than 50% of the total. Spatial distributionof rainfall indicated that mean annual rainfall varies from 1071 mm (Subdega) to 1578 mm (Bonai). Annually, rainfall isdependable in most of the blocks. However, during pre-monsoon, post-monsoon and winter, CV is very high, so therainfall is not dependable. Bulk of annual rainfall received in the district is contributed by rain events of light to moderatecategory. Direction and magnitude of the trend of rainfall amount and rainy days varies a lot in different blocks. SPI values calculated for the district as a whole shows that frequency of occurrence of these drought events were: mild (34% of months); moderate (7.6% of months); severe (3.3% of months) and extreme (3.2% of months). The present study provides pertinent information on the rainfall climatology and its trend under climate change over the Sundergarh district of Odisha. Finding of the study suggests that there is an urgent need to raise awareness about the climate resilient society, train personnels about sustainable development approaches and highlight the necessity of water harvesting techniques at community level.

Efficient atmospheric water harvesting enabled by hierarchically structured cellulose foam

The sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting technique is an appealing solution for addressing the challenge of freshwater shortages. In this study, a composite foam was fabricated by confining hygroscopic salt (CaCl2) into a Cr-based metal–organic framework (MIL-101), which was then integrated into a bacterial cellulose (BC) skeleton. The hierarchical structure, which contains micron- and nanoscale pores, enhances water storage, transport, and vapor evaporation throughout the whole water capture and release process. The pore confinement effect of MIL-101 and the interconnected BC network effectively restricted the leakage of the liquefied salt solution. Interestingly, the color of the CaCl2@MIL-101@BC foam changed from light green to dark green as the amount of absorbed water increased. This moisture-induced color darkening improves the light absorption ability during the water release stage under sunlight. At 30 % relative humidity, the foam can absorb up to 0.78 g g−1 of water per cycle (8 h) and desorb quickly under solar radiation. This makes foam a promising method for water production in arid areas.

Integrated Impact of Olive Mill Wastes and Semi-Circular Bunds on Soil Properties and Rainwater Harvesting Efficiency in Egypt’s Northwestern Coastal Zone

ABSTRACT The productivity of olive in the northwestern coastal zone of Egypt is significantly constrained by drought and low organic matter in the soil. This study addresses these challenges by exploring the synergistic effects of olive mill wastes (OMW) application and micro-catchment water harvesting techniques on soil properties, runoff, moisture storage, and rainwater harvesting efficiency. Field experiments were conducted over two winter seasons, employing different micro-catchment structures (semi-circular and triangular bunds) and OMW applications. The results revealed that the integration of semi-circular bunds with OMW application (T4) substantially increased rainwater harvesting efficiency by 67.7% and 46.4% in the first and second seasons, respectively. Additionally, T4 and T5 exhibited reduced runoff by 47.8% and 41.3% in the first season and 49.4% and 38.9% in the second season, respectively. T4 significantly enhanced soil organic matter, soil macronutrients (N, P, and K), and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) compared to the control (T1). The study highlights the effectiveness of T4 in improving soil moisture, reducing soil erosion, and enhancing soil fertility. This integrated approach involving OMW application within a semi-circular bund as a water harvesting system proves to be a promising strategy for sustainable olive cultivation in arid conditions.

Design of Rain Water Harvesting System for Efficient Water Scarcity and Flood Management in India

Areas experiencing extensive floods during the rainy season and water scarcity in winter require efficient water resource management. Economical water-harvesting structures such as drystone masonry and upstream-wall cement masonry, with heights ranging from 1 to 2.5 meters, are constructed for catchments smaller than 10, 10 to 20, and 20 to 30 hectares, respectively, utilizing locally sourced materials. These constructions offer significant cost-effectiveness for the location, boasting a B:C ratio of 3.5:1. In certain areas of Assam, Garh structures are constructed, featuring large and lengthy embankments on both sides with an open central section for water flow. Within paddy fields, the entire area is partitioned into small square segments, creating small embankments known as "Dara." which store rainwater for cultivation. Across the entire Western Himalayan region, encompassing Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, and Northern Uttaranchal, Guhl serves as a standardized water harvesting technique. Notably, in Akola and Chittoor districts, the establishment of farm ponds has significantly boosted crop and livestock productivity, along with farm income. Additional irrigation has notably enhanced the yield of various rainfed crops such as pigeon pea, chickpea, groundnut, cotton, and vegetables, as well as mango and coconut plants, with improvements ranging from 5 to 72%. With the availability of harvested rainwater for supplemental irrigation, farmers have also planted additional fruit trees, resulting in increased productivity of existing fruit trees, such as mango (39%) in Chittoor district and coconut (51%) in Vellore district. Expanding the number of rainwater harvesting structures could potentially reduce runoff within the basin by up to 60%. The implementation of Doha Models, involving percolation tanks dug along the length of lower-order seasonal streams in Jalna district of Maharashtra, has increased cropping intensity from 129% to 132%. Remarkably, five out of seven crops have demonstrated a relatively higher percentage increase in yields. The optimal productivity of harvested water is achieved when efficient application methods such as micro-irrigation are employed, targeting high-value crops.

GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis for groundwater dam site selection in an arid and semi-arid region of Algeria

Securing reliable water resources in arid and semi-arid regions poses a significant challenge for decision-makers, especially under recent droughts and projected climate change. This need is particularly acute in the M'zi Wadi basin, located in the north-central part of Algeria, where its surface water projects are challenged by low and erratic rainfall coupled with high water evaporation, adversely impacting its water resources sustainability. Implementing water harvesting techniques in such arid regions, specifically groundwater dams, can be regarded as an effective water scarcity adaptation strategy, and their effectiveness is dependent on the optimal site selection which must consider many complex criteria. The paper aims to identify potential sites for groundwater dams in the M'zi Wadi basin using a multi-criteria decision-making approach in a GIS environment based on seven socio-economic and natural factors such as rainfall, stream order, land use/land cover (LULC), geology, Topographic wetness index (TWI), and distances from faults and villages. The results showed that approximately 1.27% of the M'zi Wadi basin area is highly suitable for groundwater dam siting. Four candidate sites were identified as having favourable conditions for installing new groundwater dams based on field and geophysical survey data conducted along the alluvial aquifer of the M'zi Wadi basin, and the remaining areas were deemed unsuitable due to specific constraints. The suitability of the selected sites was validated through a comparative analysis with existing groundwater dams. The results of the present study could offer valuable insights for decision-makers at all levels, facilitating informed judgments during the initial planning of groundwater dam construction. Furthermore, the methodology can be replicated in other data-scarce regions under similar arid climate conditions.

Enhanced Atmospheric Water Harvesting Performance by Three-Dimensional Carbon Fiber Felt Structure.

Freshwater shortages and the uneven distribution of water resources are critical issues for economic development and human life, and collecting water vapor in the air is one of the important ways to alleviate these issues. In recent years, adsorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) techniques have received much attention, and the core difficulty in establishing an efficient system is to develop a highly efficient functional material for AWH. In this work, an AWH material was prepared consisting of carbon fiber felt as a three-dimensional skeleton and loaded with poly(vinyl alcohol) immobilized LiCl and graphite, as a water capture and release functional material. A 24 h water capture-3 h water release test was carried out at room temperature, showing excellent water collection ability of 0.907 g·g-1 of water at 30% relative humidity (RH) and 2.429 g·g-1 of water at 80% RH. Using a 2 h capture-2 h release cycling test, the sample demonstrated a stable water capture-release performance. An outdoor field test was conducted, showing water collection efficiencies of up to 60%. We believe that the carbon fiber felt can provide good mechanical properties and achieve a high mass loading of the functional materials, and the composite material has a simple manufacturing process and realizes energy saving and sustainable water harvesting.

Symbiotic defect-reinforced bimetallic MOF-derived fiber components for solar-assisted atmospheric water collection

Conversion of atmospheric water to sustainable and clean freshwater resources through MOF-based adsorbent has great potential for the renewable environmental industry. However, its daily water production is hampered by susceptibility to agglomeration, slow water evaporation efficiency, and limited water-harvesting capacity. Herein, a solar-assisted bimetallic MOF (BMOF)-derived fiber component that surmounts these limitations and exhibits both optimized water-collect capacity and short adsorption-desorption period is proposed. The proposed strategy involves utilizing bottom-up interface-induced assembly between carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotube and hygroscopic BMOF on a multi-ply glass fiber support. The designed BMOF (MIL-100(Fe,Al)-3) skeleton constructed using bimetallic-node defect engineering exhibits a high specific surface area (1,535.28 m2/g) and pore volume (0.76 cm3/g), thereby surpassing the parent MOFs and other reported MOFs in capturing moisture. Benefiting from the hierarchical structure of fiber rods and the solar-driven self-heating interface of photothermal layer, the customized BMOF crystals realize efficient loading and optimized water adsorption-desorption kinetics. As a result, the resultant fiber components achieve six adsorption-desorption cycles per day and an impressive water collection of 1.45 g/g/day under medium-high humidity outdoor conditions. Therefore, this work will provide new ideas for optimizing the daily yield of atmospheric water harvesting techniques.

Enhancing solar-driven atmospheric water harvesting by a bilayer macroporous hydrogel

The adsorption-based atmospheric water harvesting technique has shown great potential in providing clean water. An ideal device for atmospheric water harvesting should enable the massive and quick release of water after it is rapidly absorbed by the moisture adsorbent. At present, however, the moisture adsorbent still experiences issues such as a slow water absorption rate, hampered adsorption–desorption kinetics, and a low total water yield. In this paper, a bilayer moisture adsorbent (BMA), which glues a hydrophilic macroporous layer for rapid water adsorption and a carbonized sunlight-absorbing layer for both water harvesting and desorption acceleration, is introduced. Further evidence suggests that it is the stable, fluffy, and rough porous structure of the BMA that helps to harvest atmospheric water efficiently. The fully carbonized BMA exhibits a water absorption capacity of up to 396% at a relative humidity of 90%, which is 20% higher than a monolayer sample. More importantly, the desorption efficiency of the half-carbonized BMA reaches 98% under 1 sun illumination. These results jointly demonstrate that the BMA can play the dual role of absorbing moisture and light, allowing for rapid atmospheric water harvesting, massive water storage, and efficient desorption under the light.

Fog harvesting efficiency analysis of biomimicking surfaces: A review

With a rapidly increasing population, pollution levels and industrial water and energy demand are on a constant rise in the past century. Populations residing in arid and semi-arid regions have been victims of water shortage issues since decades. Efficient water harvesting techniques are becoming highly significant today for ensuring the availability of essential resources throughout the globe. Inspired from nature where certain creatures have attractive surfaces which can collect water from the fog or mist even in no rainfall conditions, researchers have developed high-efficient novel water harvesting materials that could effectively address water scarcity issues. Through an in-depth analysis of the wettability and water droplet transportation of these creatures in nature, novel bionic surfaces that combine desirable natures and properties have been developed through innovative fabrication and coupling techniques. This could achieve 2.5 to 5.3 times more efficient water harvesting than conventional superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces. The efficiency value increased by 250% to 600% by merging different morphologies like Desert beetle, cactus and Janus, compared to their individual uniform morphology surfaces. The review also presents current challenges and scope for future development in water harvesting materials.

A plural knowledges model to support sustainable management of dryland rivers in western India

AbstractDirect and indirect human disturbances present major challenges to sustainable management of dryland rivers, impacting upon their role as critical lifelines in arid and semiarid regions. This paper presents an overview of changing human–river relations, knowledges and practices in the management of dryland rivers in western India over the last 4500 years. In ancient times, traditional knowledges underpinned local water harvesting techniques that worked with nature. Subsequent imposition of external values and knowledge frameworks in colonial times applied a command‐and‐control ethos that asserted human authority over rivers. Postindependence, development programmes in the second half of the 21st century further accentuated this legacy, with profound implications for river health. Discipline‐bound approaches to river restoration in recent decades have failed to address these concerns. Using the Sabarmati catchment (~20,000 km2) as a case study, we develop a holistic, transdisciplinary approach that integrates traditional place‐based knowledges and practices alongside scientific understandings and the generative potential of Big Data to show how a plural knowledges model can support proactive and precautionary approaches to sustainable river management.

Leveraging ChatGPT and Bard: What does it convey for water treatment/desalination and harvesting sectors?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a prominent tool in the modern day. The utilization of AI and advanced language models such as chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT) and Bard is not only innovative but also crucial for handling challenges related to water research. ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that uses natural language processing to create humanlike conversations. ChatGPT has recently gained considerable public interest, owing to its unique ability to simplify tasks from various backgrounds. Similarly, Google introduced Bard, an AI-powered chatbot to simulate human conversations. Herein, we investigated how ChatGPT and Bard (AI powdered chatbots) tools can impact water research through interactive sessions. Typically, ChatGPT and Bard offer significant benefits to various fields, including research, education, scientific publications, and outreach. ChatGPT and Bard simplify complex and challenging tasks. For instance, 50 important questions about water treatment/desalination techniques and 50 questions about water harvesting techniques were provided to both chatbots. Time analytics was performed by ChatGPT 3.5, and Bard was used to generate full responses. In particular, the effectiveness of this emerging tool for research purposes in the field of conventional water treatment techniques, advanced water treatment techniques, membrane technology and seawater desalination has been thoroughly demonstrated. Moreover, potential pitfalls and challenges were also highlighted. Thus, sharing these experiences may encourage the effective and responsible use of Bard and ChatGPT in research purposes. Finally, the responses were compared from the perspective of an expert. Although ChatGPT and Bard possess huge benefits, there are several issues, which are discussed in this study. Based on this study, we can compare the abilities of artificial intelligence and human intelligence in water sector research.

Suitability of Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH) techniques for the climatic conditions of Pakistan: A case study

Suitability of Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH) techniques for the climatic conditions of Pakistan: A case study

Modeling‐based performance assessment of an indigenous macro‐catchment water harvesting technique (Marab) in the Jordanian Badia

AbstractWater resources management is fundamental for rural communities in drylands, where water harvesting technologies (WHT) can be used for intercepting surface runoff and storing water in soils. The so‐called “Marab” WHT was initially developed by Middle Eastern agro‐pastoralists that reside or commute in semi‐arid and arid rangelands. The Marab WHT is a macro‐catchment measure consisting of earth dams and stone spillways along the contours of a lowland depression or floodplain. Dependent on the local context (i.e., climate, soil, management, etc.), the established Marabs show highly variable effectiveness and little scientific evidence is supporting the scaling out of the technology. This study aims at filling the knowledge gap on the Marab performance in different environments by simulating its hydro‐agrological effects for different soils and climatic conditions using the AquaCrop model. A case study performed for a Jordanian Marab over three seasons (2019–2022) confirms its huge improvement potential for barley production. Through Marab‐based farming, barley production reached 8.37 t ha−1on average, versus highly variable 0.34 t ha−1without the WHT. The simulation‐based assessment of soil textures identified that silty soils have the largest potential for producing up to 9.25 t ha−1barley, compared to 6.60 t ha−1produced in clay soils. Assessing different climate scenarios, a slight increase in daily average temperatures (+0.5°C) led to a considerable production decline of 4%–8%, while a significant reduction of precipitation (−20%) decreased biomass production by a similar rate (4%–10%). This underlines the robustness of the “Marab” WHT to rainfall amount variation. However, simulations also highlight the sensitivity of timing and frequency of flood events: removing the last and the first flood event reduced biomass production by approximately 50% and 80%, respectively, while the barley fails to develop if both events were suppressed.

Urban Floods and Suitability Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting Potential Areas in Lahore City, Pakistan

There is a growing threat of urban flooding, particularly in Pakistan that needs attention and requires effective management strategies. The chief trigger for urban flooding is the rapid and unplanned urbanization in areas where impermeable surface inhibits rainwater diffusion and changes the natural water flow. In many developed countries, a technique of rainwater harvesting is implemented as a sustainable strategy to manage urban stormwater. Most studies and projects chiefly focused on the potential use of the Rainwater harvesting technique for water conservation in arid and semi-arid climates. In the present work, GIS and remote sensing methodologies are utilized for the suitability of rainwater harvesting structures. This study was conducted in Lahore, the second most populated city of Pakistan and the capital of Punjab. Generally, the water harvesting technique depends on topographical areas with water accumulation, where there is an availability of open spaces in the form of green areas and barren lands, rainfall, drainage network density, and rainfall distribution, particularly in the urban environment. The SRTM DEM data were used for finding high water accumulated areas, and the Landsat OLI image is used to retrieve land use information i.e. vacant land and open green spaces, existing drainage network density, and rainfall distribution. All these layers were integrated through AHP to detect the potentially suitable sites for the construction of rainwater harvesting structures. Results concluded 94 suitable sites with categorization from highly to critically suitable for the construction of rainwater harvesting structures in which 6 were highly suitable areas in Data Gunj Bakhsh Town and Ravi Town. Besides, residential areas are having a maximum site suitability percentage, followed by roads, agricultural and open spaces in the area under consideration. Considering the suitable sites, further rainwater harvesting methods can be identified in the study area to alleviate urban flooding and improve the urban environment.

The role of water harvesting in the development of vegetation cover and reducing desertification within the desert dry areas

It has become necessary to find harmony between the need to exploit rainwater and increase agricultural production, while continuing scientific creativity, especially in the field of multiple techniques for harvesting rainwater. This is for human use, irrigation of crops, and preservation of the environment within the drought that affected the ecological balance. The study addresses the importance of water harvesting in the development of pastoral and medicinal vegetation, the advantages of water harvesting techniques, benefiting from available land resources in the Iraqi desert, maintenance of existing wells, and the role of Arab research centres in supporting and settling the local population. The water yield of the valleys was calculated using the SCS method. This method was applied in calculating the volume of water yield prepared by the US Soil Conservation Service. The state of water harvesting in the plateaus of the Kingdom of Morocco was discussed, as natural resources are available within the region represented in its biological environment, despite the existence of a state of pastoral deterioration. This case was chosen as a model to monitor the best projects that can provide a state of environmental balance and stability of natural factors. In addition to opening prospects for balanced development within the region.

Modelling the impacts of water harvesting and climate change on rainfed maize yields in Senegal

Senegalese agriculture is threatened by climate change effects, affecting rainfall variability both at interannual and interdecadal timescales. Using FAO’s AquaCrop crop-growth model, we tested the efficiency of an in situ water harvesting technique - tied ridges - for maize cropping in the Fatick region in Senegal, in response to changes in temperature and precipitation with different fertility levels and different soils. Results showed that, considering the current climate and soil fertility, tied ridges did not significantly impact maize yields. The rainfall amount was enough for maize production and to avoid water stress during the cropping season. Under perturbed climates and, especially, in years with low average rainfall amounts, high losses in yield were registered under optimal fertility conditions (up to 80%). The strongest effect was obtained when tied ridges were simulated on clay soil, enhancing yields by 5.6% and 13% at actual and optimal fertility conditions, respectively. Our results highlighted how the current maize production in the Fatick region in Senegal is sustainable in the current climate scenario, while it could be potentially impacted by climate change in the near future. In a pessimistic climate change scenario, in situ water harvesting has the potential to avoid excessive crop losses.

Effect of moisture conservation techniques on almond (Prunus dulcis) productivity under rainfed conditions

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of moisture conservation techniques on productivity enhancement in almond (Prunus dulcis Mill) during 2010-11 to 2012-13 at Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Treatment sincluded five water harvesting techniques, viz. half-moon (W1), full-moon (W2), cup and plate (W3), trench (W4) and control (W5) and three mulch materials, viz. plastic mulch (M1), organic mulch (M2) and control (M3) were laid out in factorial randomized block design with three replication. The experimental results revealed that maximum mean trunk cross sectional area (266.82 cm2), nut yield (5.37 kg/tree), productivity efficiency (19.47 g/cm2 TCSA) and soil moisture content (13.48%) were recorded in full moon water harvesting technique. Among mulch material, plastic mulch found better in respect to TCSA (255.59 cm2), nut yield (4.99 kg/tree), productivity efficiency (18.88 g/cm2 TCSA) and soil moisture content (12.86%) compared to other treatments. The combined effect of water harvesting and mulching indicated that maximum TCSA (270.48 cm2), nut yield (5.82 kg/tree), productivity efficiency (20.92 g/cm2 TCSA) and soil moisture (13.98 %) were recorded in full moon water harvesting + plastic mulch in almond cultivar Non Pareil under rainfed conditions of north west Himalayan regions of India.

Reporting water quality of sustainable traditional ponds using water quality index in Nagaur district of western Rajasthan, India

The present study investigates ancient water harvesting techniques of western Rajasthan and reports potable water quality by using the Water Quality Index (WQI). These small rain-fed ponds are still a significant water resource for the village community and quench the thirst for 6 to 10 months. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the water quality and its suitability for drinking, development of forest and irrigation purpose. There were four sampling sites that were analyzed seasonally for physico-chemical parameters including, pH, TDS, Fluoride, Nitrate, Chloride, Total Alkalinity, Total Hardness, Calcium and Magnesium over a period of one year from July, 2020 to June, 2021 in Nagaur district, Rajasthan. In the results, WQI indicated very poor and unsuitable drinking water quality in all seasons in the first sampling site located in the city due to poor management. Whereas, all the village sampling sites had excellent water quality index in terms of drinking in all seasons excluding one sampling site, which was showing poor water quality in summer. Calculations for WQI show that fluoride is the most influencing parameter in the study. The findings significantly enhance the understanding of the importance of these small water ponds and provide a base for making sustainable water strategies in present study areas.