AI Article Synopsis
- Rainwater harvesting is gaining traction as an important method for addressing water scarcity and ensuring food security, despite being an ancient practice.
- The article focuses on India to examine how agricultural rainwater harvesting ponds impact social, economic, and environmental aspects amidst climate and population challenges.
- It advocates for a comprehensive approach that considers both water availability and social wellbeing to evaluate the sustainability of these traditional systems.
Article Abstract
Rainwater harvesting, a "soft path" approach toward water management, is increasingly recognized as a key strategy toward ensuring food security and alleviating problems of water scarcity. Interestingly this "modern" approach has been in use for millennia in numerous older civilizations. This article uses India as a case study to explore the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of agricultural rainwater harvesting ponds, and evaluates the viability of these centuries-old systems under current climate and population pressures. A holistic watershed-scale approach that accounts for trade-offs in water availability and socioeconomic wellbeing is recommended for assessing the sustainability of these systems.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es4040182 | DOI Listing |
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