Empowering the Rainwater Harvesting Movement

The International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA) was created in Geneva in November 2002 following recommendations formulated during the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg two months earlier. The mandate called for the federation and unification of the disparate rainwater harvesting (RWH) movement around the world, to promote rainwater as a valuable water resource and to build on achievements in this field for the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals.

In partnership with the most eminent organisations and individuals in the field, the IRHA provides a lobbying and advocacy platform for RWH. It supports the growth of RWH solutions to water supply problems. It also provides a forum for its members to work together or share experiences, and thus for the benefit of people living with water scarcity.

The IRHA promotes the use and management of rainwater as part of:

• Soil and water conservation for food security
• Climate change adaptation policy
• Risk reduction and disaster mitigation policy
• Watershed & community development
• Ecosystem conservation and aquifer recharge
• Household and productive use
• Hygiene and sanitation improvement policies

The IRHA Objectives:

• To promote Rainwater Harvesting and management as a strategic and sustainable way of achieving the Millennium Development Goal for freshwater.
• To position RWH as a powerful tool for climate change adaptation.
• To create synergies between the major stakeholders in the RWH sector and to influence policy at all levels: international, regional, national and local.
• To build knowledge on the different RWH technologies.
• To facilitate networking and information exchange in all aspects of RWH and management, enhancing South-South and North-South collaboration.

IRHA Headquarters

Blue Schools projects

Other IRHA projects

Training sessions

International meetings