Rainwater harvesting, an ancient practice of people living in cities and in rural areas, allows to collect rainwater for domestic use, human consumption, agriculture and livestock production or to reduce floods and fill up aquifers.

This three year program aims at developing appropriate techniques and approaches of rainwater harvesting and use in order to contribute to improved access to water and food security in dryland areas of according to the national policy on environmental protection and natural resource management while basing itself on known traditional practices. Implementation of such a program requires a study of existing traditional practices of rainwater harvesting in the drylands of in order to identify the best and most sustainable practices. This program, which will be implemented by NCA and AMADE, runs from March 2007 until November 2009 and focuses on three northern regions (Tombouctou, Gao and Kidal), north of the region of Kayes, and the region of Koulikoro.

This year, the study will record of existing traditional practices of rainwater harvesting in and will share this information. The possibility to exchange experiences and to create synergies with DCG Ethiopia will also be studied. Results of this year’s study will be shared with DCG Mali members and other relevant actors during a workshop which will be held in November.

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