Let it Rain - A Case Study of Community-based Water Management and Rainwater Harvesting in Bayoudah, Jordan

Abstract: This thesis is a case study on community-based water management and increased access to water through rainwater harvesting in rural Jordan. It also considers how women gain benefits through rainwater harvesting and their participation in community-based water management. Based on a holistic framework that merges community-based water management and water demand management, we examined Bayoudah village where a community-based organisation is allocating revolving loans to villagers to build rainwater harvesting systems. Through a combination of focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, we discovered that while rainwater harvesting enabled community members, specifically women, to become independent water managers at the household level, the community-based management in question did not translate into a concrete enhancement of women’s participation.