Donal Hickey: What is water harvesting and is it making a return? 

Donal Hickey: "Conservation is set to become a critical priority as we face the prospect of longer, more frequent periods of drought and rising temperatures due to climate change." Picture: iStock.

Times when barrels were a common sight against the external walls of houses — to catch rainwater falling from the chutes — could soon be returning. 

Nowadays called water harvesting, this form of collection and storage was widely practised by our practical ancestors. Often, large concrete troughs were part of the scene in farmyards for the same purpose.