Bangladesh faces shortage of potable water especially in the urban areas due to over extraction of groundwater as well as inefficient water management. In Dhaka city, the groundwater table is depleting at a rate of 2-3 meter per year but no attention so far has been given on recharging groundwater or efficient management of water. The scenario is no different in other cities. The situation aggravates further due to unplanned urbanization and rapid urban population growth. The city authorities are not being able to meet water demand of the increasing population.
In this situation, rainwater harvesting could be a potential option for urban areas for meeting at least non drinking demands like toilet flushing, car and floor washing, washing clothes and utensils, gardening, etc. Apart from those essential usages, recharging groundwater could save our environment. If rainwater could properly be used for groundwater recharge, we might be able to reduce water congestion during rainy season. But all of these needs to be realized by the practitioners, academicians, students, researchers, urban planners, architects, engineers as well as policy makers who are working on water and environmental issues. Besides, establishment of knowledge centres at educational hubs could add value for raising awareness on urban rainwater harvesting among critical mass.
Objectives
ITN-BUET has established Rain Centre with the collaboration of WaterAid to achieve the following objectives:
Promotes research on rainwater harvesting and disseminates rainwater harvesting related information
Support training and capacity building initiatives on rainwater harvesting
Promote awareness raising through different initiatives including organizing events, publications, etc.
