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Synopsis Water harvesting is the activity of direct collection of rainwater that would otherwise have gone the drainage system, into ground or been lost to the atmosphere through evaporation. As an effective method of utilising rainwater for domestic and agricultural use, it is already widely used throughout the world. Today, countries across the world promote water harvesting as the principal means of harvesting as the principal means of supplying household water. However in most countries, extension and irrigation staff and general public have often very limited knowledge about the various water harvesting techniques and the associated socioeconomic implications. The dissemination and adoption of the technology on a larger scale by farmers is hampered by this lack of trained field staff. This book has been written with the intention of providing technicians, extension workers, rural development planners, farmers and general public with practical guidelines for developing and implementing to water harvesting programmes. It presents the scientific basics, perspective and technical information of traditional and modern water harvesting practices. It includes a good number of tables, diagrams, case studies of water harvesting practices and detailed technical designs for various systems. The ecological and economic benefits of water harvesting techniques are also highlighted. It is hoped that the book will serve as a useful guide for proper development and implementation of water harvesting programmes.