Evaluating the Role of Indigenous Methods of Rainwater Harvesting for Water Sustainability of Local Ecosystems in India

India is rich in terms of tradition and culture. In ancient India, water has been in an integral part of the development of various civilizations. Its availability has determined the development of society and various human activities. Like present, earlier societies were also having issues related to water management for which various structures have been built in the different parts of the country to store water and utilize it during periods of scarcity based on local conditions. Water scarcity affects irrigation, domestic use, and industrial use and is also responsible for migration. It poses several problems to civil society. In such a situation, it is imperative to strengthen the water management systems along with developing alternative approaches to store rainwater in the appropriate place. In India, for ages, various rainwater harvesting techniques like Baoris, Bandhi, Tankas, Kuhls, etc. were in use to collect rainwater. These techniques were locally suitable, environmentally feasible, and also sustainable. Over time, they have lost significance due to several reasons. The present study argues that various traditional indigenous methods used for rainwater harvesting purposes were significant from a water sustainability point of view. Therefore, the study suggests that these rainwater harvesting methods should be promoted and must be conserved for the sustainability of the local ecosystems. The study involves various secondary data sources and literature published on the indigenous and traditional methods of rainwater harvesting and water conservation in India. The paper concludes that there is an urgent need for the effective conservation and restoration of these indigenous methods of water management in different parts of the country for water sustainability.