RAINWATER HARVESTING AS A CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY FOR WATER MANAGEMENT IN HOUSEHOLDS IN MAIDUGURI.

The study was carried out to assess the Rain Water Harvesting as a Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Water Management in Household in Maiduguri, Borno State. Fřve (5) Objective andfive (5) research questions were used to guide the study. A descriptive research design was adopted in the study. The total sample population of Two hundred (200) was used. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from the respondents. The research used 30 items questionnaire for data collection, the questionaire was divided into (5) section the data collected were analyzed using single per centages, results show that although boreholes, wells, and water vendors remain the dominant sources of water for most households, they are plagued by unreliability, high cost, and occasional poor quality. This aligns with studies showing that public water systems in northern Nigeria have long suffered from infrastructural decay and mismanagement. the dominant sources of water boreholes, public taps, wells, and water vending have become increasingly stressed due to climate variability, infrastructural breakdown, and rising demand. Respondents frequently described their main water sorces as unreliable, and many reported spending substantial income on water each week. Lastly, the researcher recommended that government should mainstream RWH by including it in water supply strategies, climate action plans, and urban development guidelines. New buildings should be required to incorporate gutters and storage tanks. Low-income households should be supported with subsidised materials and micro-loans to reduce initial costs. NGOs and donor agencies can partner in this effort. Educational programmes should target households, schools, religious institutions, and community groups. Demonstration projects can showcase simple, affordable RWH models.