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Rainwater Belongs to You
The International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance was created during the World Summit for Sustainable Development as a response to the ever-increasing water management crisis.

IRHA was founded in 2002 in Johannesburg at the World Summit on Sustainable Development and was given the mandate to federate or unify the disparate organisations harvesting rainwater around the world. This international alliance now provides a unified voice for the Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) movement, disseminating and building on achievements this field and working towards the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals. 

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

IRHA’s vision is safe freshwater for sustainable livelihoods
and ecosystem conservation in all regions of the world.

IRHA’s mission is to promote Rainwater Harvesting,
within the context of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM),
linking local social and economic development with the protection of vital ecosystems.

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

• Soil and water conservation for food security and food sovereignty
  

• Livelihood improvement for household productive uses
  

• Watershed management & community development 
  

• Disaster reduction and reconstruction 
  

• Ecosystem conservation and aquifer recharge

• Project implementation
  
  
• Capacity building
  
  
• Federating the RWH movement
  
  
• Positioning RWH in policy agendas

IRHA Objectives

IRHA will focus on the promotion of community-based rainwater harvesting initiatives:

• To promote Rainwater Harvesting and management as a strategic
  and sustainable way of achieving the Millennium Development Goal for freshwater.
  
  
•  To create synergies between the major stakeholders in the Rainwater Harvesting sector at all levels; international, regional, national and local.
  
  
• To build a knowledge bank on all aspects of Rainwater Harvesting systems and approaches and other alternative technologies for freshwater augmentation.
  
  
• To promote Rainwater Harvesting as a sustainable way of providing community access to safe water, thereby improving livelihoods and ecosystem conservation.
  
  
• To facilitate networking and information exchange in all aspects of Rainwater Harvesting and management, enhancing South-South and North-South collaboration.
  
  
• To influence policy at the local, national, regional and international levels thereby raising Rainwater Harvesting to the top of the political agenda.
  
  
• To promote a representative approach clearly focused on gender equity.
  
  
• To implement direct action programmes in Rainwater Harvesting in the context of Integrated Water Resources Management.
  

Irha Secretariat and HQ - Geneva / Switzerland

Vessela Monta
Miriam Tesfai
Thibault Boucher

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Executive Director
Administration
Project Management /Short term contract

Steering Committee

Adélia de Melo Branco
Alberto Jimenez Merino
Crispino Lobo
Edgar Quiroga
Jin Zidell
Maimbo Malesu
Stuart Coupe
Vessela Monta 

ABCMAC - Brazil
Red latinoamericana de Aguas Lluvia - Mexico
WOTR - India
CINARA Valle University - Colombia
Blue Planet Run - USA
SEARNET - Zambia - Kenya
Practical Action - United Kindom
Irha Secretariat - Switzerland

Secretariat Advisory Group

Adrian Atkinson
Bancy Mati
Han Heijnen
Manuel Anaya Garduño
Maria Arce Moreira
Marcella D'Souza
Vihsnu Sharma

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Technical University Berlin, Germany
Kenya
WHO, Nepal
CIDECALLI, Mexico
Bolivia
WOTR, India
India