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Unlocking global rainwater harvesting potential for safe drinking water access
Qingke Yuan1, Yanfeng Liu1,2, Yukang Qie1,2
1Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Sustainability, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Nature Communications
|December 12, 2025
Summary
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) can significantly boost access to safe drinking water (SMDW), a key Sustainable Development Goal. Optimizing RWH could provide services to billions currently lacking them, even in rainy regions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Water Resource Management
- Sustainable Development
Background:
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.1 targets universal access to safely managed drinking water (SMDW) by 2030, but is currently off-track, affecting 2.2 billion people.
- A significant paradox exists: most people without SMDW live in areas with ample rainfall, yet rainwater harvesting (RWH) for potable use is minimal (1.26%).
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a global assessment framework for quantifying the potential of rainwater harvesting (RWH) to advance SDG 6.1.
- To identify actionable pathways for optimizing RWH to increase access to SMDW.
Main Methods:
- Developed a parametric framework integrating environmental and socioeconomic indicators to assess global RWH potential.
- Utilized simulations to model the impact of optimizing RWH on SMDW coverage.
Main Results:
- Optimizing RWH could increase SMDW coverage by 5.6-26%, potentially benefiting 0.45-2.08 billion people.
- Rainwater harvesting was found to support multiple SDGs, including food security, health, gender equality, and climate action.
Conclusions:
- Vast untapped rainwater potential exists globally, offering a critical pathway to accelerate universal SMDW access.
- A systematic global assessment and actionable roadmap are crucial for unlocking RWH potential to meet SDG 6.1 targets.
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