The community participation in water management is increasing slowly. Due to the recent water crisis, it has become very important to reform the present water management systems and revive the traditional methods of rain water harvesting. Scientific and technological studies are being carried out to assess the present systems and use newer innovative methods. No creature can survive without water and hence it is very important to conserve even a drop of water. In many parts of India people are increasingly implementing the rain water harvesting systems to make use of rain water. builders in Cochin, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh are installing rain water harvesting systems in almost all flats due to the abundant rain in these areas.
 
There are a number of traditional methods of rain water harvesting where conservation of rain water is the primary concern. The traditional methods of rainwater harvesting are Bawaries, step wells, jhiries, lakes, tanks etc. The water thus stored is used for domestic and irrigation demands.
 
Due to indiscriminate development and rapid urbanization there has been a drastic reduction of percolation of rainwater due to which the ground water levels have decreased. The process of augmenting the natural filtration of rainwater into the underground formation by artificial methods constitutes the rainwater harvesting system. Rain water harvesting helps arrest groundwater decline and augment ground water table, beneficiate water quality in aquifers, conserve surface water runoff during monsoon, reduce soil erosion and inculcate a culture of water conservation. Rain water can be harvested by either surface runoff harvesting or rooftop rain water harvesting.