Abstract: With the global drought and water shortage becoming more prominent, use of rainwater has drawn a worldwide concern. Based on the research development in arid and semi-arid regions over the world in recent years, this paper firstly summarizes three models of rainwater harvesting system in these kinds of areas, namely the model of collecting rainwater from courtyard and road for drinking of people and livestock and water supply in farmland, the model of harvesting rainwater on slope for ecological forestry grassland and animal husbandry and the model of rainwater harvesting by watershed for all-around use．Then the paper analyzes the existing major problems of rainwater harvesting techniques in arid and semi-arid areas, such as the poor comprehensive technology in rainwater harvesting system, the shortage of advanced water-saving irrigation facilities, poor efficiency of rainwater utilization, faultiness of environmental impact assessment system, low quality of ecological effects, insufficiency in capital investment and slow development in promotion and application of advanced technology, etc. On this basis, the paper puts forward the sustainable development strategies about rainwater harvesting technology from the following aspects, the potential of regional rainwater resources collecting, the efficient use of technology integration system for rainwater, the good matching of advanced water harvesting and efficient irrigation technology, the construction of environmental effect evaluation system of rainwater harvesting system, the broad channels of capital investment and the establishment of benefit compensation mechanism.