Journey of Watershed Approach in India

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Journey of Watershed Approach in India
B. Pradhan Department of Land Resources Ministry
of Rural Development Govt. of India
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Evolution of Watershed Approach
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Watershed as Growth Engine for Development
rainfed areas

• The Assessment of WSPs by ICRISAT- has shown
• B C ratio of 2.01, IRR 21.43.
• Enhancing rural incomes by 58, increasing
  agricultural productivity by 35 besides
  protecting the environment.
• Employment generation increased by 154 days per
  ha. /year.
• Irrigated area increased by 51.5 cropping
  intensity by 35.5.
• Ground water table improved by 3.2 meters and
  runoff declined by 13.
• It implies WS have potential that needs to be
  unlocked

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Major Challenges and Opportunities

• Capacity Building
• Expanding livelihoods
• Equity
• Sustainability
• Monitoring Evaluation

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Capacity Building in Watershed Management

• Capacity development as weakest link for
  enhancing impact
• Capacity development quality and quantity
  issues
• Involve quality institutions
• Sharing knowledge using new media tools

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Expanding Livelihood Options

• Livestock management, animal husbandry, dairying,
  fisheries and other land based activities to be
  integrated into watershed development programmes.
• Multi disciplinary/multi-institutional
  partnership
• Convergence of schemes/programmes

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How to Enhance Sustainability

• Through collective action and community
  participation
• Efficient use of conserved soil and water
  resources
• Emphasis on demand management rather than
  resource augmentation
• Demand driven rather than supply driven
  activities
• Knowledge sharing and capacity development
• Linking to markets
• Tangible economic benefits to individuals e.g.
  productivity enhancement

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Equity

• Benefits from public land must be reserved for
  the landless and resource poor who should be
  organized in SHGs and their federations for
  effective marketing of produce.
• Close attention needs to be paid to developing
  common lands for livelihoods and making sure that
  the landless have access to them.
• Benefits from investment on private lands should
  also be shared among farmers. Detailed agreements
  on sharing water and other benefits to be worked
  out with provision for user charges.

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Common Guidelines

• Have provided broad framework and detailed
  operational manuals and process guidelines need
  to be developed.
• Just policies dont work, need to be executed
  well with peoples participation.
• .

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THANK YOU