Role of Macrolevel Water Harvesting in Achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6): A Critical Review

ABSTRACT

Macrolevel water harvesting (MLWH) is a strategic approach to addressing water shortages and advancing Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) in arid and semiarid areas. Nevertheless, there are a limited number of studies that use comparative quantitative assessments of MLWH performance under climatic conditions. An exclusive bibliometric analysis was conducted to select study areas and establish methodological continuity between global research trends and the analytical framework. This paper evaluates 10 successful case studies using the Water Conservation Potential, Agricultural and Livelihood Impact, Sustainability and Urban Flood Control indices. These indices are aligned with SDG targets 6.4, 6.5 and 6.6. Findings show that semiarid areas that use integrated recharge systems, irrigation connectivity and institutional integration continue to perform better than those characterized by insular intervention. The comparative study of successful MLWH practices provides a framework for achieving SDG 6 and water security planning in an arid region by MLWH.