Open Access
Subscription Access
Tracing the trajectory of watershed development in India using watershed guidelines: policy insights
This study traces the development of watersheds in India based on the governing guidelines of the watershed programmes. We explore the changes and modifications in the watershed guidelines and categorize the developmental changes into six distinct yet interlinked phases. We observed that the watershed guidelines were fine-tuned with emerging challenges of land degradation, livelihood security, gender and social equity, climate change mitigation and adaptations. Recently, the focus of watersheds has shifted from production centric to income-centric by promoting enabling institutional settings. The experiences and learnings from India’s watershed programmes provide insights for other developing countries implementing such programmes
User
Font Size
Information
- Rao, C. S. et al., Potential and challenges of rainfed farming in India. Adv. Agron., 2015, 133, 113–118.
- Sengupta, S., Mitra, K., Saigal, S., Gupta, R., Tiwari, S. and Peters, N., Developing markets for watershed protection services and improved livelihoods in India. Winrock International India, New Delhi. Discussion paper, 2003, p. 116; https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.620.1645&rep=rep1&type=pdf
- Rockström, J. et al., Managing water in rain-fed agriculture. In Water for Food, Water for Life. A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture (ed. Molden, D.), Earthscan, London, UK, 2007, pp. 315–352.
- Wani, S. P., Joshi, P. K., Ramakrishna, Y. S., Sreedevi, T. K., Singh, P. and Pathak, P., A new paradigm in watershed management: a must for development of rain-fed areas for inclusive growth. In Conservation Farming: Enhancing Productivity and Profitability of Rain-fed Areas (eds Swarup, A., Bhan, S. and Bali, J. S.), Soil Conservation Society of India, New Delhi, 2007, pp. 163–178.
- Shiferaw, B., Wani, S. P. and Nageswara Rao, G. D., Irrigation investments and groundwater depletion in the Indian semi-arid villages: the effect of alternative water pricing regimes, Socio-economics and Policy Working Paper 17, ICRISAT, Patancheru, 2003, p. 24.
- Shankar, P. V., Towards a paradigm shift in India’s rainfed agriculture. Innov. Dev., 2011, 1(2), 321–322.
- Reddy, V. R., Saharawat, Y. S. and George, B., Watershed management in South Asia: a synoptic review. J. Hydrol., 2017, 551, 4–13.
- TERI, Impact assessment study of the watershed development programme – a compendium. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi, 2004; https://dolr.gov.in/sites/default/files/impact_assissment_in_watershed_in_india.pdf
- Fan, S. and Hazell, P., Should developing countries invest more in less-favoured areas? An empirical analysis of rural India. Econ. Polit. Wkly, 2000, 1455–1464.
- Kerr, J., Milne, G., Chhotray, V., Baumann, P., and James, A. J., Managing watershed externalities in India: theory and practice. Environ. Dev. Sustain., 2006, 9(3), 263–281.
- Wani, S. P., Bright spots in rainfed Asia for minimizing land degradation in watersheds: drivers and speed breakers. Presentation in Bright Spots Meeting, Bangkok, Thailand, 15 February 2003.
- Farrington, J., Turton, C. and James, A. J. (eds), Participatory Water-shed Development: Challenges for the Twenty First Century, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1999, p. 382.
- Seeley, J., Batra, M. and Sarin, M., Women’s participation in water-shed development in India, Gatekeeper Series No. 92, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), 3 Endsleigh Street, London WC1H ODD, UK, 2000, p. 20.
- Deshpande, R. S. and Narayanamoorthy, A., Irrigation sector in Maharashtra: some policy-related aspects. Water Resour. J., 1999, 200, 72–82.
- Sreedevi, T. K., Wani, S. P. and Nageswara Rao, V., Empowerment of women for equitable participation in watershed management for improved livelihoods and sustainable development: an analytical study. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India, 2007, p. 20.
- Shah, A. C., Eloquent silent revolution. Development Support Centre, Ahmedabad, 2000, p. 29.
- Angurana, A. K., Gender orientation to watershed development in Jharkhand. J. Dev. Manage. Stud., 2003, 1(3), 393–395.
- Rao, C. H., Watershed development in India: recent experience and emerging issues. Econ. Polit. Wkly, 2000, 3943–3947.
- Shiferaw, B. and Rao, K. P. C., Integrated management of water-sheds for agricultural diversification and sustainable livelihoods in eastern and central Africa: lessons and experiences from semi-arid South Asia. Proceedings of the International Workshop, ICRISAT, Nairobi, 2006, p. 120.
- Agarwal, A. and Narain, S., Making water management everybody’s business: water harvesting and rural development in India. The Gatekeepers Series No. 87, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), 3 Endsleigh Street, London WC1H ODD, UK, 1999, p. 20.
- Kerr, J., Pangare, G. and Pangare, V., Watershed development project in India: an evaluation research report no. 127. Environment and Policy Production Technology Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA, 2002, p. 102.
- MoRD, Annual Report 2006–07, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India (GoI), 2007.
- Hanumantha Rao Committee, A report of the Committee appointed for review of rural development programmes in India, GoI, 1994, p. 65; https://dolr.gov.in/sites/default/files/TechCommitteeReport1994.pdf
- GoI, Watershed development guidelines-revised, Government of India, 2001; https://megcnrd.gov.in/forms/WSD.pdf
- Baumann, P., Panchayati Raj and Watershed Management in India: constraints and opportunities. Working Paper 114. Overseas Development Institute, London, UK, 1998, p. 77.
- Hooja, R., Why only Panchayats? Down to Earth, 2004, 12(18), 15–16; https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/governance/the-development-laboratory-10991.
- Singh, S., Comparative study of common guidelines for watershed development programme in India. J. Global Econ., 2010, 6(2), 137–148.
- MoRD, Guidelines for Hariyali. Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, GoI, 2003, p. 11; https://megsoil.gov.in/docs/HARAYALI_Guidelines.pdf
- GoI, Common guidelines for watershed development projects, Government of India, 2008; https://dolr.gov.in/sites/default/files/CommonGuidelines2008.pdf
- GoI, Common guidelines for watershed development projects, revised edition, Government of India, 2011; https://dolr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Common%20Guidelines%20for%20WDP%202008%-20Revised%20Edition%202011.pdf
- Symle, J., Lobo, C., Milne, G. and Williams, M., Watershed development in India: an approach evolving through experience. Agriculture and Environmental Services Discussion Paper 4, 2014, p. 81; https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/18636/880560NWP0Wate0Box385209B00PUIBLIC0.pdf?sequence=1&is-Allowed=y
- MoRD, Guidelines for new generation watershed development projects (WDC-PMKSY 2.0). Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, GoI, 2021.
Abstract Views: 250
PDF Views: 129