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Productive water and losses without water conserving or harvesting measures in drylands.
(Liniger et al.,2011 based on Rockström et al., 2007)
Van Steenbergen and Tuinhof, 2009; Tuinhof et al., 2012
Classification of Water Harvesting based on catchment type
Flood Water Harvesting
Below: Floodwater harvesting within streambed
-Riverbed /wadi and gully reclamation
-Permeable rock dams
Right: Floodwater diversion system (off-streambed)
-Spate irrigation
-Floodwater spreading bunds
Van Steenbergen et.al., 2010
Ratsey 2011
Rain Water Harvesting
Dr. Sekhar Raghavan, Rain Centre, Chennai
Spectrum of agricultural water management (Molden, 2007)
Field conservation practices relate to in situ water conservation practices
Macro Catchment Water Harvesting
Injection / Recharge well
Water storage in soil:
– Hillside runoff / conduit,
– Foothill reclamation
– Large semi-circular or trapezoidal bunds,
– Road runoff
– Gully plugging / productive gullies
– Cut-off drains (redirection of water)
Surface storage:
– Natural depressions
– Ponds and pans
– Cultivated reservoirs / tanks
– Ponds for groundwater recharge
– Surface dams: small earth and stone dams
– Check dams, Rock catchment masonry dams;
Subsurface storage:
– Aquifer
– Subsurface percolation dams
– Subsurface sand dams
– Subsurface reservoirs
– Cisterns
– Injection / Recharge wells
– Liniger et al., 2011; – Critchley and Gowing, 2012; – Oweis, et al., 2012
Micro Catchment Water Harvesting
Planting Pits
Contour lines and Trenches
Vegetative Strips
Pits and Basins:
– Small planting pits
– Semi-circular bunds
– Eyebrow terraces
– Mechanised Vallerani basins
Cross-slope barriers:
– Vegetative strips
– Contour bunds and ridges
– Stone lines and bunds
– Contour bench terraces
Critchley and Siegert, 1991
Rooftop and Courtyard Water Harvesting
Rooftop Harvesting
Courtyard Harvesting combined with rooftop
NIssen-Petersen 2007, Thomas and Martinson, 2007