International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance IRHA

What International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance IRHA does

IRHA is a Geneva-based, ZEWO-certified non-governmental organization founded in 2002 that develops low-tech, nature-based rainwater harvesting and land management systems to address climate-driven water stress in vulnerable communities. Its core programs span four pillars: Rainwater for Water, Sanitation & Hygiene; Rain-Fed Agriculture & Food Sovereignty; Disaster Risk Management & Ecosystem Restoration; and Rain in the City. The portfolio is organized around flagship projects such as the Blue Schools Programme — pioneered by IRHA in 2007 and now adopted across 14 countries — and the Rain Communities landscape-scale approach, which connects water capture, soil regeneration, and tree/vegetation restoration through the Water-Soil-Tree Triptych methodology. Technical components include ferrocement cisterns, half-moon zaï pits, stone/vegetative bunds, gabions, participatory 3D mapping tools, and school gardens, all delivered through local implementation partners.

IRHA operates both as a direct implementing organization and as a global Alliance of national rainwater harvesting associations (including bodies in Brazil, Mexico, USA, Senegal, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Korea, Madagascar, Somalia, and Malawi) and strategic partners such as the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, IWA, IUCN, UN ECOSOC, UNFCCC, and WHO. Field operations are conducted in Senegal, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Uganda, and Switzerland, with cumulative impact figures including 234,215 direct beneficiaries, 232,991 trees planted, and 145 hectares of farmland restored. The Swiss-domestic PLUIË | Rain awareness project delivers creative workshops, urban walks, and educational activities to schools, municipalities, and cultural institutions in Greater Geneva.

IRHA's revenue model is non-commercial: the organization is funded primarily through donations, institutional grants (SDC, FGC, SIG, L'Effet Papillon, Swisslos Aargau), and limited service-based income from PLUIË awareness activities. The Secretariat is small (roughly seven named staff and Committee members), the organization holds no equity, and growth is reinvested in programmatic expansion rather than distributed to shareholders. Distribution occurs through direct project implementation with local partners, the Alliance membership channel, and PLUIË activities.

Name

International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance IRHA

Legal name

International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance

Website

https://irha-h2o.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IRHA is a Geneva-based, ZEWO-certified non-governmental organization founded in 2002 that develops low-tech, nature-based rainwater harvesting and ecosystem restoration systems for rural communities, schools, and smallholder farmers in climate-vulnerable regions across Africa, Asia, and Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Management Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Source Development & Intake Systems (Wells, Boreholes, Intakes) (AFAAACAI), Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), Frost Protection & Specialty Water Applications (Overhead Frost, Cooling, Dust Control) (AFACAFAO), Urban Flood Resilience & Adaptation Planning (Climate, Nature-Based Solutions) (EUANAEAJ)

Keywords

• Rainwater harvesting systems
• Community water management
• Watershed restoration services
• WASH program delivery
• Ecosystem restoration projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatelaine

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: IRHA is a non-profit NGO that relies primarily on donations from individuals and institutional donors. The organization is ZEWO certified, guaranteeing responsible and transparent use of donations. Bank transfer details are provided for supporters.
2. Institutional Funding and Grants: IRHA receives funding from institutional donors including the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Fédération Genevoise de Coopération (FGC), Services Industriels de Genève (SIG), L'Effet Papillon, and Swisslos Aargau for specific project implementation across multiple countries.
3. PLUIË Awareness Activities (Service-Based Revenue): PLUIË, an IRHA project in Switzerland, generates revenues through interactive awareness-raising activities including creative workshops, urban walks, and educational activities for schools, municipalities, companies, and cultural institutions. All revenues contribute to financing IRHA development projects in the Global South.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

IRHA designs and implements community-based rainwater harvesting and management programmes in climate-vulnerable regions. Its flagship offerings are the Blue Schools Programme (school rooftop rainwater harvesting with ferrocement cisterns for WASH and environmental education), Rain Communities (landscape-scale interventions with half-moon Zaï pits, bunds, gabions and ponds), PLUIË | Rain (Swiss urban awareness activities), and the Rainwater Lab knowledge platform — all delivered through the IRHA Alliance network.

Product overview

IRHA offers a portfolio of rainwater harvesting products and programs centered on four core programmatic pillars: Rainwater for Water, Sanitation & Hygiene, Rain-Fed Agriculture & Food Sovereignty, Disaster Risk Management & Ecosystem Restoration, and Rain in the City. The flagship offerings include the Blue Schools Programme (pioneered in 2007, now implemented across 14 countries), Rain Communities (landscape-scale regeneration approach), and PLUIË | Rain (Swiss urban awareness initiative). The Blue Schools Programme transforms school rooftops into water sources with ferrocement cisterns, sanitation facilities, and environmental education. Rain Communities takes a watershed-level approach combining rainwater harvesting, agroecology, and ecosystem restoration. These products are supported by the Rainwater Lab educational resource platform and the broader IRHA Alliance network of practitioners and organizations worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Schools: A school-based approach pioneered by IRHA in 2007 that transforms rainwater into a practical resource for schools and communities, combining rainwater harvesting, sanitation, hygiene, and environmental education.
• Rain Communities
• PLUIË

Products and services

• Blue Schools Programme A multi-country programme that transforms school rooftops into rainwater collection systems, providing safe water, sanitation facilities, handwashing stations, hygiene awareness, school gardens and environmental education for schools across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Pioneered by IRHA in 2007 and now implemented across 14 countries with +64 schools supported directly, serving 72 Blue Schools total in the IRHA portfolio.
• Rain Communities (landscape-scale programme) A landscape-scale approach integrating rainwater harvesting, watershed management, ecosystem restoration and sustainable livelihoods. Combines terraces, bunds, ponds, infiltration systems, half-moon Zaï pits, stone and vegetative bunds, gabions and agroecology to slow runoff, recharge groundwater, reduce erosion and restore degraded land and forests across territory-wide programmes in Africa and Asia.
• Rain Communities Phase 2 (Nepal) Second phase of the Rain Communities project in Nepal (Tobang District and Pokhara District) focused on disaster risk management, ecosystem restoration and strengthened community resilience through enhanced water availability and reinforced agricultural systems, implemented with local partners (Kanchan Nepal, LI-BIRD, SVSI/FECOFUN, DWSS, Pokhara Metropolitan City). 2,000+ households across 10 rain-fed communities in Nepal and 10,000 expected indirect beneficiaries in Cambodia.
• PLUIË | Rain Urban rainwater awareness and education project in Switzerland offering interactive workshops, creative activities, urban walks and educational resources on water cycles, infiltration and soil functions for children, youth and adults. Activities are delivered to municipalities, schools, companies and cultural institutions in the Greater Geneva area, with revenues contributing to IRHA development projects in the Global South.
• IRHA Alliance (global member network) Global alliance network connecting practitioners, scientists and communities working across continents to protect rain, restore land and build climate resilience through shared knowledge and collaborative action. Members include national rainwater harvesting associations such as ABCMAC (Brazil), AMSCALL (Mexico), ARCSA (USA), ASGEP (Senegal), LRWHF (Sri Lanka), MRHA (Madagascar), NRHA (Nepal), RAAS (Somalia), RainForALL (Korea), RHAM (Malawi) and RWC (Cambodia).
• Rainwater Lab Educational resource platform offering technical factsheets, glossaries and reference documents on rainwater harvesting and land restoration techniques for practitioners, partners, students and learners.
• Rainwater for Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Programme Program that transforms rooftops into water sources through rainwater harvesting systems, sanitation facilities, handwashing stations and hygiene awareness for rural and peri-urban communities, schools and health centers lacking centralized water systems.
• Rain-Fed Agriculture & Food Sovereignty Programme Program strengthening food sovereignty through agroecological practices, soil and water conservation measures, water retention and infiltration structures (half-moon Zaï pits, stone and earth bunds, hedgerows) and training for smallholder farmers and agricultural cooperatives.
• Disaster Risk Management & Ecosystem Restoration Programme Program restoring landscapes and reducing disaster risks through watershed-scale planning, reforestation, erosion control, slope stabilization, flood mitigation measures (bunds, gabions, terracing) and capacity building for local institutions and land managers.
• Rain in the City Programme Urban rainwater management program providing expertise, professional training, awareness-raising and advocacy for integrated water strategies to reintegrate rainwater into cities through nature-based solutions and sponge city approaches.

Quantifiable outcome

• 234,215 direct beneficiaries and 782,950 indirect beneficiaries served across all programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

39 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ABCMAC (Associação Brasileira de Captação e Manejo de Água de Chuva)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA's Alliance member in Brazil. ABCMAC is the Brazilian Association for Rainwater Capture and Management. The 13th ABCMAC symposium was held in Recife, Brazil in August 2024 with IRHA President Han Heijnen delivering a keynote. ABCMAC promotes rainwater harvesting in Brazil's semi-arid northeast region.
• AMSCALL (Asociación Mexicana de Sistemas de Captación de Agua de Lluvia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA's Alliance member in Mexico. AMSCALL was founded in 2017 with international support from IRCSA and ARCSA to promote rainwater collection systems in Mexico. They have organized two national congresses and developed a certification program for rainwater harvesting professionals.
• ARCSA (American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA's Alliance member in the USA. ARCSA develops international standards for rainwater catchment systems including ANSI 63 and ANSI 78. Board member E.W. Bob Boulware is a past National President of ARCSA and member of the ARCSA Rainwater Catchment Hall of Fame.
• ASGEP SenegalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA's Alliance member in Senegal, contributing to project implementation in the Kaolack region and other areas of Senegal.
• LRWHF (Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA's Alliance member in Sri Lanka. LRWHF was founded by IRHA President Han Heijnen in 1996 as part of a World Bank WASH investment programme. IRHA works on projects in Sri Lanka including Rain Communities and Blue Schools.
• MRHA MadagascarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA's Alliance member in Madagascar, part of the global network of rainwater harvesting practitioners.
• NRHA Nepal (National Rainwater Harvesting Association Nepal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA's Alliance member in Nepal. Nepal is a key country for IRHA's Rain Communities Phase 2 project in Tobang District and Pokhara. IRHA President Han Heijnen has worked with the government of Nepal and SOPHEN.
• RAAS SomaliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA's Alliance member in Somalia, part of the global network of rainwater harvesting practitioners.
• RainForALL KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA's Alliance member in South Korea. Prof. Mooyoung Han from Rain for All presented at IRHA's webinar on Blue Schools, discussing technical and social innovations in community rainwater management.
• RHAM Malawi (Rainwater Harvesting Association Malawi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA's Alliance member in Malawi, part of the global network of rainwater harvesting practitioners. Participants from Malawi attended IRHA's Blue Schools webinar.
• RWC Cambodia (RainWater Cambodia)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIRHA's Alliance member and local implementation partner in Cambodia. RainWater Cambodia is the lead partner for the Rain Communities Cambodia project in the Central Cardamom Mountains, Phnom Kravah National Park area, targeting 10,000 beneficiaries.
• Kanchan NepalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal implementation partner in Nepal, specializing in spring rehabilitation for the Rain Communities project. Has rehabilitated 5 sources in the Pokhara region since 2019 and is a partner for the Blue Schools Programme.
• Caritas KaolackcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal implementation partner for the Blue Schools Programme in Senegal, supporting school rainwater harvesting and sanitation infrastructure.
• LI-BIRDcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal implementation partner for Rain Communities Phase 2 in Nepal.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIUCN is listed as a strategic partner and recognition on IRHA's Alliance page. IRHA references IUCN's Catalogue of Ecosystem-based Adaptation measures in mountains as a reference document. IUCN is a key global environmental organization.
• IWA (International Water Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIWA is listed as a strategic partner and recognition on IRHA's Alliance page. IRHA President Han Heijnen is a member of the IWA Specialist Group on Rainwater Harvesting and Management.
• UN ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN ECOSOC is listed as a strategic partner and recognition on IRHA's Alliance page. IRHA contributes to ten UN Sustainable Development Goals under the 2030 Agenda.
• UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNFCCC is listed as a strategic partner and recognition on IRHA's Alliance page. IRHA participates in climate conferences and contributes to climate adaptation efforts.
• SARNET (South Asia Rain Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSARNET is listed as a strategic partner on IRHA's Alliance page. IRHA President Han Heijnen is a founder member of SARNET.
• WOCAT (World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOCAT is listed as a strategic partner on IRHA's Alliance page. WOCAT documents sustainable land management technologies and approaches globally.
• SuSanA (Sustainable Sanitation Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuSanA is listed as a strategic partner on IRHA's Alliance page, connecting IRHA's WASH activities to the broader sustainable sanitation community.
• Water Harvesting Lab (WHL), University of FlorencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHL at the University of Florence is listed as a strategic partner. Giulio Castelli, a WHL researcher with a PhD in water harvesting, serves on IRHA's Board.
• GRAIE (Groupe de Recherche, Actions et Informations sur l'Eau)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGRAIE is listed as a strategic partner on IRHA's Alliance page. GRAIE is a French research and information group focused on water management.
• GEN (Geneva Environment Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEN is listed as a strategic partner on IRHA's Alliance page, connecting IRHA to the Geneva environmental community.
• FEBA (Faith for Earth and Belief for All)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEBA is listed as a strategic partner on IRHA's Alliance page.
• FGC (Fédération Genevoise de Coopération)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFGC is listed as both a financial partner and strategic partner, supporting IRHA's Rain Communities projects.
• PSA (Plateforme souveraineté alimentaire)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSA (Food Sovereignty Platform of FGC member organizations) is listed as a strategic partner on IRHA's Alliance page.
• SWP (Swiss Water Partnership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWP is listed as a strategic partner on IRHA's Alliance page.
• Valoo (Circular Sanitation Network Switzerland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerValoo (Circular Sanitation Network Switzerland) is listed as a strategic partner on IRHA's Alliance page.
• AGUASANminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGUASAN (Swiss Water Professionals Association) is listed as a strategic partner on IRHA's Alliance page.
• WHO (World Health Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA President Han Heijnen served as WHO South Asia Regional Advisor for WASH. IRHA references WHO/UNICEF data on school water and sanitation, and contributes to WASH outcomes aligned with WHO guidelines.
• HelvetascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelvetas is referenced as a partner organization where IRHA President Han Heijnen worked in Nepal as part of his career history.
• IRC-WASHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRC-WASH is referenced as a knowledge institute where IRHA President Han Heijnen worked as part of his career history in the water sector.
• World BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA President Han Heijnen began promoting rainwater harvesting in Sri Lanka in 1996 as part of a World Bank WASH investment programme. Giulio Castelli collaborated with the World Bank during his doctoral work.
• Pokhara Metropolitan CitycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPokhara Metropolitan City is a local implementation partner for Rain Communities Phase 2 in Nepal, working with IRHA on watershed management and water resource governance.
• SVSI / FECOFUNcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSVSI/FECOFUN (Farmer's Organization) is a local implementation partner for Rain Communities Phase 2 in Nepal.
• DWSS (Department of Water Supply and Sewerage)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDWSS is a local government partner for Rain Communities Phase 2 in Nepal.
• Le Puit, The Story WellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLe Puit, The Story Well is IRHA's partner for the PLUIË project, creating storytelling and theatrical activities around rainwater harvesting. They created fairy tales featuring IRHA's work that are presented in schools.
• UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRHA Board member Salvano Briceño was the first Director of UNISDR (now UNDRR) from 2001 to 2011. IRHA's Disaster Risk Management and Ecosystem Restoration program aligns with UNDRR frameworks.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• ABCMAC (Associação Brasileira de Captação e Manejo de Água de Chuva): Brazilian national rainwater harvesting association and IRHA Alliance member that promotes rainwater capture and management in Brazil's semi-arid northeast. Operates in IRHA's methodology ecosystem but is geographically focused on Brazil, making it a regional peer rather than a global direct competitor.
• LRWHF (Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum): Sri Lankan national rainwater harvesting forum founded in 1996 by IRHA President Han Heijnen. IRHA Alliance member and on-the-ground partner for Blue Schools and Rain Communities in Sri Lanka; shares IRHA's methodology and beneficiary focus within Sri Lanka.
• AMSCALL (Asociación Mexicana de Sistemas de Captación de Agua de Lluvia): Mexican national rainwater harvesting association founded in 2017 with IRCSA/ARCSA support. IRHA Alliance member that organizes national congresses and a rainwater harvesting professional certification program — comparable to IRHA's work but concentrated in Mexico.
• NRHA Nepal (National Rainwater Harvesting Association Nepal): Nepal's national rainwater harvesting association and IRHA Alliance member. Directly involved in Rain Communities Phase 2 implementation alongside IRHA; comparable organization operating in the same geographies and beneficiary communities in Nepal.

Broad incumbents

• HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation: Large Swiss development NGO with substantial water and climate programs in Nepal, Senegal, and other countries where IRHA operates. A historical employer of IRHA's President, HELVETAS is a much larger incumbent with broader thematic scope; IRHA partners with and is referenced against HELVETAS as a sector peer in Swiss development circles.
• Water.org: Global WASH nonprofit co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, known for its WaterCredit microfinance model. Serves overlapping beneficiary populations but operates at much greater scale through financial-services partnerships rather than community-implemented infrastructure like IRHA's ferrocement cisterns.
• WaterAid: One of the largest global WASH NGOs operating in 30+ countries with significantly greater budgets and brand recognition. WaterAid addresses the same WASH outcomes IRHA pursues but through a broader portfolio including advocacy, large-scale infrastructure, and policy influence — making it a broad incumbent rather than a direct niche competitor.

Others

• Practical Action: UK-headquartered international development NGO that works on water, agriculture, and disaster risk across developing economies. Overlaps thematically with IRHA's portfolio but uses technology-oriented rather than purely nature-based approaches; serves comparable donor audiences but does not directly compete for rainwater harvesting projects.

Direct peers

• ARCSA (American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association): U.S.-based national rainwater harvesting association that develops ANSI standards (63 and 78). ARCSA is both an IRHA Alliance member and a direct peer — both organizations pursue rainwater harvesting advocacy, training, and standards development, with overlapping membership and conference circuits.
• IRCSA (International Rainwater Catchment Systems Association): The global umbrella federation of national rainwater harvesting associations founded in 1989. IRCSA is the most directly comparable organization to IRHA — both promote rainwater harvesting internationally, run conferences, and connect national associations, though IRCSA is more standards/academic-oriented while IRHA is more implementation-oriented.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@irhah2o819
• Facebookfacebook.com/InternationalRainwaterHarvestingAlliance?locale=fr_FR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-rainwater-harvesting-alliance-irha
• Instagraminstagram.com/irha_h2o

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance IRHA