Decentralized rainwater harvesting structures have played a
positive role in alleviating severe water scarcity challenges in
Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh. Given the small landholdings
in India, farmers are generally sensitive about either diverting or
utilizing a part of their land for non-cultivation purposes. However,
farmers who have invested in the structures have experienced
improved water availability through rainwater harvesting, which
in turn has directly and indirectly improved the socio-economic
conditions of rural population and environmental landscape of the
region. Furthermore, the decentralized nature of the structures
has avoided many of the management and sustainability issues
faced in community approaches to rainwater harvesting, including
the allocation of shared resources and the maintenance of the
supporting assets