Rainwater Harvesting Technology: An Adaptation Approach to Climate Change Among Farmers in Africa: a Systematic Review

Water scarcity and drought accumulating from erratic rainfall patterns are responsible for significant losses in agricultural productivity across Africa and beyond. This has overtime contributed to significant decline in economic growth and development. Growing body of knowledge have revealed that rainwater harvesting has the potential to significantly increase farmers’ income and to drive a significant number of people out of the poverty trap. However, little is known about the significance of integrating rainwater harvesting systems in crop production practices in Africa. As a result, the level of adoption remains relatively low across the continent (<20%). The aim of this study was to explore the different approaches of rainwater harvest technology as a basis for improving extension services delivery in arid and semi-arid zones of Africa. The use of thematic content analysis revealed that the use of rooftop rainwater harvesting can increase crop yield from 10-20%. The authors recommend the need to significantly adopt and cascade rooftop rainwater harvesting technology in arid and semiarid regions of Africa.