India's Rainwater Harvesting: Progress, Gaps and the Road Ahead

India faces a significant water stress challenge, holding only 4 percent of the world's freshwater resources while supporting 18 percent of the global population. Rainwater harvesting has long been practiced across the country as a key strategy to address this imbalance. Government initiatives such as the Jal Shakti Abhiyan have been launched to scale up water conservation efforts nationwide. Despite these steps, experts suggest that considerable improvements are still needed to meet India's growing water demands.