Even though agriculture is an integral part of rural livelihoods of communities all over the world, there are many instances when farmers in water scarce areas are unable to succeed in their agricultural ventures because of the unavailability of water at the appropriate time in required quantities. Using an example in Sri Lanka, the aim of this document is to present a method "run off rain water harvesting" which can be effectively used by poor farming households, to overcome the hardships of nature, especially in light of climate change. This method has been developed by various institutions, experts and community members, and people working with stakeholders living in drought situations.