In this brief article, we are going to provide you with a list of reasons why we need rain, so people like you and I can understand the importance of rainfall and manage the impacts of rainfall in the world.
Over 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, and most of it is undrinkable.
It is a known fact that over 97% of the water on Earth is seawater which is extremely salty and unpalatable for living creatures, be it animals or plants. And only 3% of the water is available for drinking. So that’s where rains play a big part in every living being’s life.
List of Reasons Why We Need Rain
Below are some reasons why we need rain:
- Rain Irrigates Crops and Gardens
- Rain Can Be For Filling Cisterns
- Rain Water Can be Purified Into Drinking Water
- Rain Sculpts Landscapes
- Rain Can Wash The Atmosphere
Rain is one of the critical elements of the water cycle vital to all life on Earth.
As a part of the Earth’s water cycle, water is a renewable resource that moves in a continuous cycle, the water cycle.
Fortunately for everyone, rain is not something that is rare in most parts of the world.
Rain Irrigates Crops and Gardens
Rain is a natural source of water that can irrigate crops and plants in huge farms or little home gardens.
It is a key to sustaining all life on earth!
Rain Can Be For Filling Cisterns
Rainwater can be collected in various ways to avoid runoff water and conserve it for multiple reasons.
It can be collected in cisterns, simple water drums, or tanks that cater to your various needs that do not require pure and well-treated water from the many municipal authorities.
Rain Water Can be Purified Into Drinking Water
Rainwater can be used to make pure, high-quality drinking water as most of the water found on the earth’s surface is salty and utterly unsafe for human consumption.
Rain Sculpts Landscapes
Excess rain can cause soil erosion and, in turn, help in creating or sculpting various landscapes or topographies.
Also, rains have changed the structures and forms of various natural landforms, such as mountains, plateaus, hills and many more.
Rain Can Wash The Atmosphere
It can cool down the temperatures in various cities and towns due to the harsh heat of the sun and the increasing pollution.
Rains clean up the entire atmosphere by washing away the pollution, dirt, and grime temporarily.
Best Ways to Use Rain Water
In a time such as now, when water is becoming a scarcity, water needs to be conserved, and the best way to do that is to collect and harvest rainwater.
Come to think of it, rainwater itself is generally clean. But it can get contaminated with pollutants, debris, and microorganisms once it hits the ground.
Hence, the water collected by rainwater collection systems in your home needs to undergo filtration and other water purification treatments to make it potable.
However, outdoor rainwater collection systems would not need to be filtered as the water would be used for other purposes, like irrigation in lawns, gardens, fields, hydroelectricity generation, or fire stations to tend fires.
Using a repurposed old garbage can is the simplest way to collect rainwater, other systems used to collect rainwater includes rain barrels, tank, cisterns, etc. At the same time, you can install a rainwater cistern if you want a more extensive water collection system. There are many different uses for collected rainwater, no matter what type of rainwater harvesting system you have.
It catches the rainwater from your roofs or other surfaces or channels into a container for storage.
Let us discuss the various uses of rainwater.
- · Drinking and cooking
Rainwater is considered to be relatively pure for human consumption. It is of high quality without any contaminants. However, chlorine is often used to sanitize tap water.
But, the problem begins when rainwater is collected from your roofs or other surfaces.
You can ensure rainwater is potable by installing a filtration system or by boiling or distilling it.
Some of these systems can directly collect clean and pure rainwater, perfect for drinking or while cooking.
- Bathing or washing
The rainwater collected from overhead water collectors or water tanks is mainly used for bathing or washing clothes.
You can reduce the water use from municipal water authorities by a great deal if you use the harvested rainwater from your homes.
You can use purified or distilled water for washing your clothes or showering, depending on your personal preferences.
- Flushing toilets
We use atleast 27% (if not more) of the water in our homes for flushing toilets. This is yet another cause of the wastage of water. You can easily use the rainwater you have harvested to flush your toilets rather than using the water coming from authorities.
- Watering gardens and lawns
Rainwater is great for your plants, be it indoor or outdoor ones. Use the collected water in tanks or drums to water your beloved plants.
- Composting
You can use rainwater to make compost tea. You can also ensure that compost from your homes can get decomposed properly by watering them with rainwater.
- Drinking water for livestock, pets, and other animals
Use the distilled and treated water for animals and birds as it is safe for consumption, especially if you collect rainwater in barrels or drums.
- Rinsing vegetables
Rainwater can also be used to rinse your veggies coming straight out of your kitchen gardens, especially the root vegetables.
- Washing vehicles and outdoor machinery
Rainwater can be used to wash and clean your vehicles, lawnmowers, garden tools, and other outdoor stuff instead of the water from municipal authorities.
- Put out fires
Fire stations can also utilize the collected rainwater to tend to fires rather than using the regular water coming from the water utilities.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Rain
Rain has various advantages. Its central role is to redistribute water within the earth’s water cycle.
Water from the rain can be used to provide sustenance to all kinds of life on earth, including plants, animals, and even humans. In addition, it helps humidify the air and fill up our streams, lakes, and rivers.
Rainwater replenishes our planet’s water table and provides the much-needed moisture to the rocks and soils.
Simply put, rainwater supports life on earth.
Over the past few centuries, man has used rainwater to create hydroelectricity, which can be harnessed and stored to provide electricity even in remote places.
Coming to the disadvantages, i.e., only if the rain is in excess, it can cause massive losses to wildlife, the environment, and even the economy.
Long periods of rain can cause our rivers, lakes, and streams to overflow and cause horrific flash floods that can damage forests, cities, and villages—driving people and animals out of their homes.
Too much rainfall can damage crop production as it can wash away the seeds and topsoil.
Excessive rains can also disrupt businesses and, in turn, the economy.
Floods can kill people, animals, crops and cause immense damage to the land.
Soil erosion is yet another effect of excessive rainfall. Too much rain can loosen the soil and merge with the runoff, causing a lot of pollution and contaminating drinking water quality.
On a lighter note, excessive rains can dampen our moods and lower our work productivity as they cannot move out and are locked up in their homes.
Conclusion
A good bout of rain can nourish plants, replenish local water supplies, and provide an excellent reason to skive off work or school so you can laze around in your home by staying in bed all day or binge-watch your favorite sitcoms.
Of course, too much of anything is not a good thing. So, excessive rains can also lead to many other problems that can disrupt life and cause too much damage that can remain long after the rain stops.
In this brief article, we have provided you with a list of reasons why we need rain and how it can help us and all life on earth.
FAQs on the Reasons Why We Need Rain
What is Rain?
Put simply, rain is just tiny droplets of water pouring down from the sky.
When water evaporates due to the sun’s heat in the form of vapors, it eventually cools and condenses into millions of water droplets that become heavy and fall as rain.
This rain is what supports life on earth!
Why do we require rainfall?
Rainwater is the most significant freshwater water source used by all life on earth because over 97% of the earth’s water is absolutely unpalatable. With rain, life on earth gets access to freshwater that sustains all kinds of life.
Why should we save rainwater?
In a world where water is so scarce, and with all the advocacy around water conservation, rainwater is the next best source of freshwater rather than depending on the various water utilities.
What is the best way to retain the water begotten from the rains?
By collecting it, of course…. Rainwater can be collected in simple and advanced techniques to cater to various uses, including washing clothes, flushing toilets, or washing the dirt off some root veggies.
