Biophysical and Institutional Factors in Watershed Management

Abstract

"Watershed development and management are actively promoted by governments and non-governmental organizations alike in India and other water-scarce developing countries as a means of providing rural livelihoods and as a response to natural resource degradation. Finding the right balance between technical, managerial, and institutional thrusts of watershed projects in order to 'deliver the goods' in a sustainable manner, remains a major challenge. This paper reports on four such pilot projects, implemented in watersheds in India's tribal (adivasi) belt by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and associated partners, with analytical support for data collection and interpretation, together with recommendations by IWMI."