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[[Image:ground ctch icon.png|right]]
[[Image:BareRockCatchment.jpg|thumb|right|300px200px|Natural rock catchment on Sullivan Rock, USA. <br> Photo: [http://bibbulmuntrack1000.blogspot.com/2010/09/5th-training-324-km-5-days-walk.html Paul Madden.]]][[Image:RockCatchment.jpg|thumb|right|300px200px|Rock catchment project in Kitui, Kenya. <br> Photo: [http://www.friendsofkitui.com/rockcatch.htm Friends of Kitui.]]]
The technique applied for utilizing rocks for water supply is called rainwater harvesting and the structures built for harvesting rainwater from rocks are called rock catchments. These are naturally occurring catchments of bare rock that have high runoff coefficients (around 0.9). Water can be stored as an open reservoir behind a retaining structure, with storage capacities ranging from 20 – 4,000 m3, or can be stored directly in a covered storage tank that collects water directly from the catchment. The capacity of rocks to supply water is significant, because a rock surface of 1 hectare (10,000 square metres = 2.47 acres) can provide 1,000 cubic metres (1 million litres) from every 100 millimetre of rain. Even low and erratic showers can supply large volumes of water provided the rock area is sufficiently large enough to compensate for the low rainfall.
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! width="50%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! style="background:#ffdeadf0f8ff;" | Disadvantages
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| valign="top" | - High runoff coefficient is similar to roof catchments, even small showers produce water <br>
==Field Experiences==
In Kenya, the tradition of Harambee (to pull together) on communal self-help projects has greatly assisted many villages with the affordable implementation of rock catchment dams. In the semi-arid Machakos and Kitui in Kenya, the Wakamba communities have organized themselves into self-help groups, called Mwethya, many decades ago. They know that by working together they can cope with the harsh climatic conditions. This self-help spirit, combined with lack of fresh groundwater, has been the main drive in the construction of the hundreds of rock catchments built in that region for the last 50 years.
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|[[Image:rsr 440.jpg|thumb|none|200px|<font size="2"><center>Project 440</center></font>|link=http://www.akvo.org/rsr/project/440/]]
|'''AKVO RSR Project:''' [http://www.akvo.org/rsr/project/440/ Raising awareness on rainwater harvesting]
Uganda still has a lot to do in order to meet the MDG on water and sanitation. Rainwater harvesting is a viable option for the provision of clean water but has been greatly down-played by the ministry of water and development actors. Uganda Rainwater Association has been advocating for its promotion and RAIN Foundation came in to support URWA in these activities.
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==Manuals, videos, and links==