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Coordinated and published by The Grassroots Institute, the Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources (GJNR) is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancements in natural resources throughout the world. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists, social scientists, policy analysts, managers and practitioners (on all academic and professional levels) all over the world to promote, discuss and share various new issues and developments in different arenas of natural resources.
A Geospatial Approach for Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Potential in Hyderabad City, Telangana, India
Durgasrilakshmi Hari*1, Ramamohan Reddy Kasa2
1Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad; & Vardaman College of Engineering, Hyderabad, India.
Email: harisrilakshmi@gmail.com | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6810-5488
2C.V.R College of Engineering, Hyderabad, India. Email: kasarammohan@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7210-5923
*Corresponding author
Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2): 701-716. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080233
Received: 04 July 2025
Reviewed: 25 July 2025
Provisionally Accepted: 29 July 2025
Revised: 08 August 2025
Finally Accepted: 13 August 2025
Published: 28 August 2025
Hyderabad, a major metropolitan city in Telangana, India, suffers from flash floods and water scarcity issues that are intensified by erratic weather patterns. A sustainable solution to address urban water scarcity is through Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting (RRWH), especially in rapidly growing cities like Hyderabad. The risk of waterlogging can be considerably reduced in areas with frequent flooding by installing RRWH widely on institutional, commercial, and residential buildings. Large-scale RRWH implementation promotes a change to resilient urban infrastructure, which has the added advantages of reducing flooding and addressing water scarcity. This integrated strategy helps Hyderabad adapt to climate variability and is in line with the goals of sustainable urban planning. The present study aims to explore the potential of rooftop rainwater harvesting in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) using a geospatial approach, with the ultimate goal of contributing to sustainable urban development in the region, addressing water security and flooding through water conservation. Building rooftop areas were estimated using Open Buildings V3 data via Google Earth Engine, and RRWH potential was calculated using Rande’s efficiency and Gould and Nissen-Petersen’s formula (1999). The results of the study show that RRWH potential can fully meet drinking and cooking water demands and significantly supplement domestic uses like bathing and flushing. With 141.21 billion litres /year available, RRWH can meet up to 32.75% of total domestic basic water demand and 29.47% of standard urban water demand, highlighting its critical role in reducing reliance on municipal water and promoting urban water sustainability. Implementing RRWH in densely populated areas to provide supplemental water for domestic use. Large rooftops of domestic and commercial buildings are ideal sites for significant water harvesting, which will reduce water consumption, operational costs, and stormwater runoff through RRWH.
Rooftop; Rainwater harvesting; Potential; Geospatial approach
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Hari, D. and Kasa, R.R. (2025). A Geospatial Approach for Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Potential in Hyderabad City, Telangana, India. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2): 701-716. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080233
Hari, D., & Kasa, R.R. (2025). A Geospatial Approach for Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Potential in Hyderabad City, Telangana, India. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2), 701-716. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080233
Hari D., Kasa R.R. A Geospatial Approach for Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Potential in Hyderabad City, Telangana, India. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 2025, 8 (2), 701-716. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080233
Hari, Durgasrilakshmi, Kasa, Ramamohan Reddy. 2025. “A Geospatial Approach for Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Potential in Hyderabad City, Telangana, India”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 no. 2: 701-716. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080233
Hari, Durgasrilakshmi and Ramamohan Reddy Kasa. 2025. “A Geospatial Approach for Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Potential in Hyderabad City, Telangana, India”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 (2): 701-716. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080233
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