Rainwater harvesting, a sustainable solution for urban climate adaptation?

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is a climate adaptation strategy of all times and was applied by many civilisations in history of mankind. The system is especially found during eras with long dry periods. Rainwater harvesting is gaining interest again worldwide, not only to store water for dry periods, but also as a measure to cope with extreme rainfall. This report has evaluated recent literature on rainwater harvesting. Focus has been on design principles, application scale, water quality and public acceptance. It was concluded that rainwater harvesting can have a significant effect on the water management during extreme precipitation. In general the water quality of harvested rainwater is good, although some microbiological contamination may be present.