Why rainwater harvesting?

Rainwater harvesting provides a cost-effective and practical solution to reduce water crisis in both rural and urban contexts. In urban areas, at a household level, rainwater can be used for flushing toilets, watering gardens, washing floors, and other non-potable purposes, thereby reducing dependency on existing water supply sources such as groundwater. At the same time, by managing rainwater, the pressure on urban drainage systems could be reduced, and urban water-logging could be avoided. Moreover, it can provide an alternate water source to industries and business needs, as well. 

Practitioners, planners, academicians, industrialists, students, researchers, and policymakers working on water and environmental issues need to be sensitised and capacitated on rainwater harvesting systems to tackle the water crisis and ensure future water security.

Many initiatives and programmes have recently been promoting rainwater harvesting systems in urban and industrial buildings. Incorporating rainwater management as a separate chapter in the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) 2020 emphasises its significance. In this regard, WaterAid Bangladesh and International Training Network Centre, BUET (ITN-BUET) are organizing the International Training on Rainwater Harvesting System and exposure visit. 

Papia, student of class VIII, Burirdabur SESDP model school, now she is more relaxed for drinking rain water from RWHS plant. Powered by HSBC, this plant is established by WaterAid and Rupantor (Local NGO). Laudob, Dacope, Khulna, Bangladesh. Septembe ...
Papia, student of class VIII, Burirdabur SESDP model school drinking rainwater from their school's RWHS plant. Laudob, Dacope, Khulna, Bangladesh. September 2018.
Image: WaterAid/ DRIK/ Habibul Haque

Learning Objective
The participants will get the opportunity to learn from the experiences of technical experts, academicians and professionals from Bangladesh and abroad who have experience in implementing the program. The participants shall have exposure to and a better understanding of:

  • Urban and industrial water challenges and importance of rainwater harvesting.
  • Principles of rainwater harvesting and its components.
  • Planning, designing, construction, maintenance and monitoring of rainwater harvesting systems and groundwater recharg structures.
  • Simplified cost-benefit analysis approach for rainwater harvesting
  • Water safety plan and LEED certification for rainwater harvesting system
  • Rainwater harvesting focusing on water re-use in industrial settings

Funded fellowships available
We are offering full or partial funded fellowships for the ‘International Training and Exposure Visit on Rainwater Harvesting System’ to a limited number of deserving candidates with a strong application narrative. Those who are funded by UN agencies and other international agencies are not eligible for the fellowship. Please opt for appropriate option during your application to be considered for the fellowship.

For further information please contact:
Md. Azizur Rahman, Assistant Director (Research), ITN-BUET
Cell: +8801725021312 or Email: [email protected]

Nowrin Mow, Programme Officer-Engineer, WaterAid Bangladesh
Cell: +8801713851599 or Email: [email protected]

Date and location
26-29 September 2021 at Sarah Resort, Gazipur.

Fees and funding
BDT 35,000/- for Bangladeshi citizens, and US $400 for international participants. Limited funded fellowships are available for this programme. The training fee is inclusive of a training participation fee of BDT 3,000/- or US $35 USD, which is compulsory to pay by the selected participants irrespective of partial or full waiver.

Who can apply?
Engineers, architects, environmentalists, industrialists, urban planners, academicians, policymakers, and development practitioners.

Educational requirement
Applicants are required to have a bachelor's degree or diploma as a minimum criteria.

Application deadline
17 September 2021