The improved planting pits developed by Sawadogo and other simple water-harvesting techniques have enabled more water to infiltrate the soil.

Studies have documented the same phenomenon in some villages in Niger, where extensive water-harvesting measures helped raise water tables by fifteen meters between the early 1990s and 2005.

Some scientists are examining the potential for harvesting icebergs from Antarctica, which is estimated to have the biggest reserves of fresh water on the planet.