POTENTIAL ROLE OF RAINWATER HARVESTING IN COPING WITH WATER SCARCITY IN WEST ASIA AND NORTH AFRICA By

West Asia and North Africa (WANA) is probably the water-scarcest region of the world. Water scarcity in this region is increasing and approaching levels where economic and social development is seriously threatened. The drier environments of WANA, called steppe or badia, occupy the vast majority of the land areas and mostly inhabited by disadvantaged people. The natural resources are subject to degradation and the people’s income, which depends mainly on grazing, is continuously declining. Due to harsh conditions, people have increasingly migrated to the cities inducing prohibited costs, social and environmental problems. The most important natural resource in the drier environments of WANA is rainfall. Although limited, it is generally poorly managed and mostly lost with little benefits. To improve the living standards, prevent migration and to reverse land degradation in this environment, an improved management of the natural resources is essential. Improving the capture and the utilization efficiency of rainwater is crucial for any meaningful integrated development in these areas. Rainwater harvesting is an ancient practice that improves the efficiency of rain through concentrating it for proper use. The region has a wealth of indigenous knowledge and traditional practices that can help in contributing to the solution. Implementing micro and macro-catchment techniques in several countries of the region has shown great potential for improving production and combating desertification. However, proper planning and ensuring farmers participation in the process were found to be vital for any success. Issues of existing land tenor, national policies and public support are often limiting the implementation of rainwater harvesting on a large scale