Watershed Management Overview

Watershed Planning and Management

• Watershed management is the study of relevant characteristics to create a sustainable plan for the distribution of resources.
• The main objectives for watershed management are to control damaging runoff, manage runoff for useful purposes, protect/conserve/improve the land, protect/enhance water resources, check soil erosion, rehabilitate deteriorating land, increase infiltration, improve/increase the production of raw materials and increase groundwater recharge.
• Land degradation is a major problem, especially in areas with poor economic conditions.
• Watersheds are classified based on area (macro, sub, milli, mini, micro)
• Watersheds contain many natural and artificial elements, such as plants, soil, rock layers, and human-made structures.
• Vegetation can help conserve resources.
• A healthy watershed contains much vegetation, limited soil erosion and plenty of groundwater/surface water.
• Watershed management involves balance between conservation and utilization of resources
• India has a high population and uneven rainfall distribution, resulting in water stress.
• Numerous BMPs (best management practices) are employed in India for water and land resource management.
• These BMPs include banning tree cutting, cleaning up rivers, and adopting a ridge to valley approach to watershed management.
• Global perspectives on watershed management share similarities but have spatial and temporal variations.
• Desirable environmental and socio-economic consequences result from watershed management programs.
• There is a need for interdisciplinary approach for sustainable management of land and water resources.
• Efforts are needed to develop regional training and networking programs in watershed management.
• Watershed management has shown varied results, ranging from undesirable effects to significant benefits.

Problems and Constraints in Watershed Management

• Soil erosion from runoff is a significant issue, especially in rain-fed areas.
• Uneven benefit sharing among farming communities within a watershed is a problem.
• Some watershed management may negatively impact downstream areas, leading to flooding/water scarcity.
• Common lands are not adequately managed, impacting domestic/ecosystem water needs.
• Poor understanding of the interactions between biophysical and socio-economic processes impacts watershed management.
• Conflicts exist among government departments (e.g., agriculture, rural development, forests) in roles and fund control.
• Tribal populations in areas with poor forest yields, degraded land quality and population pressure experience socio-political unrest and hardship from watershed development.
• Lack of baseline data for impact assessment of watershed programs.
• Inadequacy of facilities for water harvesting and stabilization of food/crop/fodder production for tribal populations in many areas.

New Prospects and Opportunities in Watershed Management

• There is a need to maintain the environment
• Best management practices (BMPs) can improve crop production without harming the environment.
• Restoring reservoir capacity, organic farming, sprinkler/drip irrigation to reduce water usage.
• Ensuring that groundwater recharge efforts do not cause overuse.
• Considering downstream consequences of upstream water conservation efforts.
• Implementing low-cost technologies and utilizing local materials and labor to achieve greater benefits.
• Increasing public participation in all stages of watershed management.
• Implementing watershed management programs in different regions and scaling up those successful programs.
• There exists a need for research and development centers dedicated to watershed management.
• Conservation of CPRs (common pool resources) like land, water, fodder, forest and wildlife which are crucial for rural livelihoods and well-being.

Watershed Based Land Use Planning

• There is an interdependency between watershed and land use.
• Land use planning should balance human needs with resource conservation.
• Watershed issues like deforestation, urbanisation, drainage of wetlands can alter hydrologic conditions.
• Changes in land-use can impact water quality, quantity and availability.
• Watershed management programs should consider wider impacts (spatial and temporal) that may result from cumulative effects of activities on a watershed.
• Land-use planning should systematically assess land and water resources, potential land-use options, and economic/social considerations to choose the most suitable land-use options and safeguard resources for the future.

Watershed Management: Indian and Global Perspectives

• India has the world's second highest population and an uneven rainfall distribution.
• India has 14 major river basins, numerous medium-sized and hundreds of smaller basins.
• India has significant spatial and temporal variations in water distribution.

Timeline of Watershed Management Programmes in India

• The concept of watershed management has ancient roots in India.
• Soil Conservation Research and Training Centres (SCRDTCs) were established in the 1950s.
• watershed technologies were demonstrated in various regions of India.
• Nationwide watershed development programs were launched in 1973 - 1974, and 1977 - 1978.
• Other major programs, like the Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) and Desert Development Programme (DDP) were implemented.
• Since the 1990s, a number of programs have been funded by international agencies (World Bank, EEC, DANIDA).
• The National Watershed Development Programme for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) was implemented in 1991.