In my community, a local women’s cooperative manages a rainwater harvesting and small-scale irrigation project, addressing the challenge of water scarcity during prolonged dry spells. Local people were actively engaged from the start: community meetings were held to identify needs, decide on the locations of storage tanks, and determine management responsibilities. Decisions were made collectively, with women playing key leadership roles, ensuring the initiative reflected both local priorities and practical knowledge.
The project has had several positive outcomes: households now have more reliable water for crops, community gardens have become more productive, and local women have gained leadership and technical skills. Traditional practices, such as building small earthen check dams and using crop rotation to conserve soil moisture, were integrated into the project design, complementing the new rainwater systems. These practices still help communities adapt to seasonal water shortages, though some are being supplemented or replaced by modern pumps and pipes. Combining traditional knowledge with locally-led innovations has strengthened resilience to current climate risks while maintaining community ownership.