Importance of watershed management

Watershed degradation in the LDC s threatens the livehood of millions of the people and constrains the ability of the countries to develop a healthy agricultural and natural resources base. Increasing human and livestock population are rapidly deplenting the existing natural resources base because the soil and vegetation system cannot support present level of use in these contries.

The water shed based approach to development conservation of natural resources is now a well known strategy. The watershed management encompasses all activities for the management of natural resources in a watershed agricultural management, agro silvi pastoral management, soil and water conservation, land use management, water harvesting, and common pool resources’ management etc.

Watershed strategy has the potential to increasing agricultural productivity and improve livelihood security in the rainfall areas. The past perfomance of watershed development programs have been mixed in India Evaluation studies on watershed have reported both benefical impacts and failure of the programs on account of long term sustainability. Yet wateshed approach is seen as one of the most important strategies to bring socio economic change in the rainfed region.

The sources of a watersed strategy relies on multiple factors. Some of these are follows- equitable sharing of costs and tangible benefits; assure latest green technologies, information flow and efective locasl institutions. Further it is expected that establishment of rainfed area authority will provide much nedded guidence for effective implementation of watershed srategy. Thefore, the success of watershed development would give impetus to a faster reduction in poverty through sustainable transform motion of agricultural sector.

The committee has recommended that the multipicity of water shed programs should be covered under national authority for sustainable development. Further the rain fed areas stakeholder council will review the performance of the national authority. Such an authority must be functionally focused and must adopt an integrated approach. Increased thrust to rain fed areas through greater emphasis on reformed, more incentive and imporoved watershed programs.