1. Drinking Water

Photo Credit:Rakesh Rocky

If we didn’t have rain, where would the water that we drink come from? Sometimes, like how city children don’t know that milk comes from cows, we forget that rain is crucial for providing us with water for drinking. So rain may be an inconvenience, but it’s absolutely essential.

2. Animals

Photo Credit: launceston_lad

Have you ever seen your dog or cat drink from a muddy puddle and wondered why they do it, when you provide them with perfectly clean water? I observed this to a friend once, and she pointed out that they are probably ‘programmed’ to drink water when they find it, as a wild animal wouldn’t be able to rely on a helpful human to fill a water bowl. So rain provides drinking water for animals in the wild.

3. Ecosystem

Photo Credit: B℮n

Where would nature be without rivers and lakes? These are an essential part of our ecosystem, providing drinking water and habitat for many species. Yet without rain, there would be no rivers – and no life on earth.

4. Preference

Photo Credit: rebeca :)

Some people actually like rain and prefer a cool, rainy day to the summer heat. High temperatures are not always easy to cope with, and there are people who find rain easier to cope with.

5. Demand

Photo Credit: floralgal

I live in a city on the coast, and with large visitor numbers as well as the resident population, there is a high demand for water. In fact, a few years ago, the reservoirs were so low after a winter with less rain than normal, the local authorities actually shipped in drinking water from France. So it was a relief when subsequent years saw more normal rainfall.

6. Agriculture

Photo Credit: Gert van Duinen (no time as usual)

Farming and agriculture also depend on rain. Either it falls on the crops directly, or comes to them via pipes. Whichever route it takes, it’s essential for our food supply.

7. Gardens

Photo Credit: AmpamukA

Have you ever experienced a prolonged drought, and had to try to keep your garden alive? It’s so much easier with rain, isn’t it! Plants and flowers may not be essential, but they do enhance our environment and quality of life.

8. Rainbows

Photo Credit: saturn ♄

At the risk of sounding like a New Age guru, if you don’t have rain then you’ll never have a rainbow! Personally I like sunny day after sunny day, but there is something uplifting about the sun coming out after a rainy day (or several).

I’m not very fond of rain myself (I hate getting wet feet!), but I do recognise how essential it is. I’d rather it only rained at night though, as I love lying in bed and listening (with no chance of getting wet). Do you love the romanticism of rainy days, or find them dreary and depressing?

Top Photo Credit: *Cinnamon