frequent natural and humanitarian disasters, such as loss of shelter following
cyclones, fl ooding and arsenic poisoning of well water supplies. One possible
solution is the regionally sustainable production of durable building materials,
which would resist the actions of fl ooding and provide a roof surface suitable
for the harvesting of rainfall, to provide a source of clean drinking water.
Current vernacular shelters have however evolved to suit the social needs
of the indigenous people and the materials used in their construction are
mostly harvested locally. This paper evaluates the requirements for successful
harvesting of rainwater and how such requirements might be sustainably
achieved in the context of rural and peri-urban Bangladesh.