the book is truly an international effort, both in terms of contributors as well as the content. With articles authored from various parts of the world, the book documents rainwater harvesting systems and efforts to conserve water across the continents of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and America.

As in the case of other resources, there is a tremendous inequity between the rich and the poor regarding access to good quality water. The adoption of rainwater catchment (harvesting) systems offers a practical solution to the problem of water availability as well as help conserve the scarce source. The advantages of harvesting rain go beyond meeting demand and conservation these systems can also be used for urban flood control, as is being practiced in cities such as Tokyo, Japan.

A number of countries are rediscovering their water harvesting traditions. The reasons are not hard to find: the increasing realisation that current prevalent water supply systems just cannot cope up with the demand and availability of tremendous catchment area across the world.

The essential components of a rainwater harvesting system are: the rainfall, the catchment area and the people who harvest the rain. The objective of this book is to provide an updated review of the recent developments, as well as give detailed account of the lessons learnt in utilising rainwater catchment systems for domestic supply and to look at future technological opportunities.

It provides an overview of construction procedures that have been adopted. It describes the features of rainwater catchment system, the components of the system and its design and the materials that can be used. It also talks of improving rainwater quality. The book is a must read for persons and organisations involved with water-related issues.