Empowerment of women for equitable participation in watershed management for improved livelihoods and sustainable development: an analytical study

Watershed programs are recognized as potential engines for agricultural growth and sustainable development in rain-fed areas. Success and sustainability of watershed programs are directly related to collective action for conserving natural resources to enhance crop productivity, livelihoods for sustainable income development and gender equity. Women are key players as managers and direct actors in managing natural resources in the watershed and addressing the household food security. However, often they have passive role in decision-making process because of their low educational levels, social customs, and economic dependence.........

Community watersheds for improved livelihoods through consortium approach in drought prone rainfed areas

Rainfed agriculture is important globally (80%)) with varying regional importance (95% in sub-saharan Africa and 60% of the farmed land in South Asia) and is also the hotspot of poverty, hunger, and water stress. Occurrence of droughts is a common feature and the frequency of droughts is expected to increase due to prevailing climate change. Watershed development is adopted as a drought proofing strategy for improving livelihoods. Watershed development approach has evolved from a compartmental approach of conserving soil and water to a holistic and participatory livelihoods approach. The new approach calls for inputs from various institutions and actors for greater impact. ICRISATled Consortium has developed an innovative community watershed management model involving participatory research and development. This approach developed in Adarsha Watershed, Kothapally in India and further scaled out in 368 watersheds in India, China, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam has showed multiple impacts by increasing crop productivity by 2 to 4 folds, doubling the family incomes, enhancing biodiversity, enhancing community resilience to cope with changes including due to climate change, reducing run-off and soil losses, building institutions and developing local capacity. ICRISAT’s experiences and learnings about community scale watershed management through Consortium are discussed

A comparative analysis of institutional arrangements in watershed development projects in India:Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report No. 50

Institutions are mechanisms provided by individuals in the community to resolve social dilemmas and these define and restrict access to and control over resources. In the context of watershed development they are organizational structures evolved in the process and their mutual interaction mechanism. Watershed development approach has evolved over the decades bringing a paradigm shift in thinking of decision makers, which resulted in shifting responsibilities of natural resource management towards local communities and following participatory approaches in implementation. As a result the new generation of watershed development projects encounter multi stakeholder situation requiring institutional arrangements to achieve efficiency and sustainability. The present study has looked into four leading watershed development projects viz: Andhra Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Programme (APRLP), Sujala Watershed Program in Karnataka, Indo-German Watershed Program (IGWP) in Maharashtra and Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) following Hariyali Guidelines, Rajasthan in India, which is known to have designed innovative operational modalities to enhance communities’ participation in management and implementation of the projects. There are no efforts in critically comparing different projects but assembling elements of institutional mechanisms and their mutual interactions so as to abstract the potentially significant institutional interaction and arrangements that could enhance the efficiency of any programe. Also development of capacities of these institutions and stakeholders and their linkages are studied closely to complement and fortify the objective of this study. This study showed that through capacity building and development of social capital along with suitable institutional mechanisms at local watershed as well as supporting institutions in terms of gender, equity and sustainability, improved livelihoods could be achieved. Critical institutional mechanisms and actors’ linkages in these programs are used to infer “good institutional mechanisms” for improving impact of watershed programs in India

Improved Livelihoods and Water Productivity through Integrated Watershed Management – A Case Study from China

ICRISAT in partnership with Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS), and Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS) implemented two benchmark watersheds namely Lucheba Watershed at Guizhou and Xiaoxincun watershed in Yunnan provinces for the ADBICRISAT project on “Improving Management of Natural Resources with Sustainable Rainfed Agriculture” during 2003-2006. Both the watersheds in China had vast untapped potential for enhancing agricultural productivity, however due to low adoption of improved management practices and lack of knowledge to the farmers, the yields till 2002 were low and natural resources like soil and water were prone to severe degradation. Through participatory management, the consortium embarked on implementing integrated watershed management program (IWMP) through improved rainwater management and harvesting, improved soil, crop and pest management options as well as income-generating microenterprises for the community members. The Lucheba benchmark watershed with 1284 mm amount of rainfall annually undertook two drinking water schemes for the villagers as an entry point activity by bringing spring water from hills by pipe to the village. Construction of 151 rainwater harvesting structures cum irrigation water storage tanks, plantation of 133,600 trees on 100 ha wasteland, construction of approach road and crop diversification with high-value vegetable crops in the watershed were undertaken by the community through IWMP. As a result, the family income in Lucheba watershed increased to US$2582 in 2007 against the baseline of US$ 973 per annum in 2002. In both the watersheds, empowerment of women was evident with improved livelihoods and incomes which they could spend. The IWMP interventions resulted in enhancing rainwater use efficiency along with the net incomes in Xiaoxincun watershed also. The vegetable growers association and the farmers groups in both the watersheds effectively implemented the watershed activities and successfully protected the natural resources by reducing the erosion using the biogas production from the pig excreta, avoiding cutting the trees for cooking, controlling soil erosion, enhancing water use efficiency and diversifying the crops and livelihood options

Combating Drought through Integrated Watershed Management for Sustainable Dryland Agriculture

In a country like India, where 69% of arable land is rainfed, drought is a constant threat in one or another part of country. Drought is a recurring phenomenon and we need to manage drought effectively using the new knowledge and technology rather than dealing with as a disaster. Historical weather data helps in understanding the patterns of drought occurrence as well as establishing the length of the growing season and fItting the suitable cropping systems accordingly. The nexus between drought, land degradation and poverty could be broken by adopting integrated watershed development approach. The ICRISAT and partners developed an innovative farmer participatory consortium model for efficient and sustainable management of natural resources in the watersheds. The approach adopted is integrated genetic and natural resource management (lGNRM) and watersheds are used as entry points for improving the livelihoods. The results of a case study and scaling-up activities under the Andhra Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Program are discussed

Harnessing the Potential of Jatropha and Pongamia Plantations for Improving Livelihoods and Rehabilitating Degraded Lands

Current increase in demand of knowledge for alternative sources to fossil fuel has triggered lot of interest in use of non-edible oils as green knowledge source in de;eloped and developing countries. ICRISAT is adopting pro-poor bio-fuel strategy to benefit vulnerable sections of the society through development of degraded common property resources and individual lands which are not suitable for food production by adopting consortium approach. Research and development options for harnessing the potential of Jatropha and Pongamia are undertaken to increase productivity of Jatropha and Pongamia plantations. Large vmiability in the accessions of Jatropha and Pongamia was observed for total oil content varying from 27.4% to 40.6% in case of Jatropha and from 21 to 41 % in case of Pongamia. These accessions are evaluated for different agronomic characters along with yield potential under rain-fed conditions at ICRISAT, Patancheru, India. Application of nitrogen and phosphorus at different levels .indicated that during the 4'h year harvest index (pod to seed ratio) varied from 53-56% with different fertilizer treatment. The plant yield of Jatropha within an accession with 3x2 spacing varied upto 1.4 to 1.6 kg ha per plant (2.3 to 2.7 t ho" under rainfed conditions).Water use efficiency of three years old Jatropha plantations indicated that evapo-transpiration demand under no moisture stress for Jatropha varied from 1150-1350 mm per yem. Under the semi-arid tropical conditions Jatropha is able to use water relatively 40-57% of nonstress situation. Intercropping with Jatropha and Pongamia plantations is feasible and even during 4'h year in pruned Jatropha plantations with yield of different crops varying from 0.29 t ho" in case of green gram to 1.5 t ha" for sorghum. Intercrops like sorghum, pearimillet, pigeon pea, soybean, mung bean, chickpea, sunflower, safflower with Jatropha and pearl millet and pigeon pea with Pongamia could be successfully grown. An additional income of Rs.5,000 to Rs.16,OOO per ha can be obtained on low-quality (but reasonably able to support crop growth) soil.Nutrient budgeting approach can -be used successfully to work aut nutrients requirement needed to achieve targeted yields in crop like Jatropha_ Fallen leaves quantity and nutrient content of Jatropha varied with plant age and fertility treatment and contained 9500 mg N kg" which is lowest amongst different plant parts such as shoots and seeds as well as deoiled seed cake_ One year plantation returned 16 kg N ha,l and three-year plantation returned 21 kg N ha" through fallen leaves_ The fallen leaves also added 1 000 kg ha" organic C to soil in addition to carbon fixed in seeds which will replace fossil fuel C De-oiled seed cake after extracting necessary oil can be used as plant nutrient source on the farmers' fields, Benefits of oil seed cake application in terms of increased yields of maize, cotton and other crops were higher than N applied through mineral fertilizer source

Collective Action for Integrated Watershed Management in Semi-Arid India: Strategic Policy and Institutional Options .Strategic Assessments and Development Pathways for Agriculture in the Semi-Arid Tropics

Degradation of agroecosystems and declining sustainability are major concerns for agricultural development in many poor regions of the world where livelihoods depend on exploitation of natural resources. This is especially significant in the semi- arid areas, where water scarcity, frequent drought, soil degradation and other constraints lower agricultural productivity and the resilience of the system. Community-based integrated watershed management (IWM) is therefore being recognized as a suitable strategy for improving productivity and sustainable intensication of agriculture in drought- prone regions. This concept ties together the biophysical notion of a watershed as a hydrological unit with the social aspect of community and its institutions for sustainable management of land, water and other resources

New science tools for managing community watersheds for enhancing impact

One of the main reasons for low productivity in the rainfed SAT areas is lack of knowledge and use of new science tools; other reasons are the inherent low soil fertility, drought, severe degradation of natural resource base, poor infrastructure, low cash inputs, etc. At ICRISAT, lot of research on application of new science ~ools s~ch as simulation modeling, geographical mformatlon systems (GIS), satellite imageries alone and in combination has showed that the efficiency and ~ffectiveness of this research could be substantially Improved. Use of GIS for characterizing the agro¬ecosystems along with information on soils, crops, length of growing period and biotic and abiotic constraints enabled the researchers to identify the technology application domains effectively with less cost. The GIS along with simulation modeling particularly using the water balance model enabled to identify the quantities of excess water available during the season as well as to plan the watershed management activities. Further, using GIS and satellite imageries simultaneously at different times during the seasons enabled to identify about 2 million ha rainy season fallow lands in Madhya Pradesh, India. In the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) in South Asia about 15 million ha land was found suitable for growing rob; (postrainy season) crops after growing rice in the sy~tem. This not only enabled the scientists to develop SUItable crops and management options for crop intensification but also enhanced the sustainability of the systems as well as economic gains for the poor farmers. Use of simulation models enabled to assess the potential of different agro-ecoregions using important crops and identify the yield gaps existing between the farmers' fields and the achievable yields. Thus there is a need to scale-up the available technologies. Research is needed to minimize the gap between the achievable yield and potential yield. Simulation models also helped in identifying the constraints and suitable technology application domains without going through the process of conducting costly long-term experimentation with a number of management options. Most importantly using simulation modeling long-term impacts of different management options on C sequestration could be assessed which would have been not possible in all the cases using conventional long-term experimentation approach. This review study has shown that there are several new science tools to enhance the impact of agricultural research in rainfed areas of the SAT. Application of these new science tools has helped the researchers, policy makers as well as research managers to plan, execute and monitor the research and development programs in rainfed areas for reducing the poverty

Ethnobiology, ethnobotany, ethnomedicine and traditional knowledge with special reference to India

Abstract Ethnobiology is the scientific study of the plants and animals as treated or used by different traditional communities. Early man looked for the best nutritious food to have a healthy and disease free long life from the surrounding environment. This effort has resulted in selecting a large number of food items by human communities who lived in different parts of the world. The early humans perhaps combined instinct with indulgence to select his food items. Countless members from various human communities who spread to the different parts of the world, continued to expand the food basket. Since the early 1970s, different groups in various Universities and Research Institutions have been working on ethnobotany and traditional knowledge system of the region and published several reports. Most of the publications were concerned with ethnobotany or agricultural operations including shifting cultivation and festivals of the region. Ethnobotanical reports were mainly on ethnomedicinal plants with a few publications on food and beverages. The ethnomedicinal publications in most cases cited only the names of plants, used without going into the details of the method of use, the quantum of use and other related aspects. During 1980s, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Govt. of India launched an All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Ethnobiology (AICRPE), to document ethnobotanical and ethnozoological informations on plants and animals used by the indigenous people of India. The growth and development of ethnobotanical studies in India and elsewhere are briefly reviewed in this article

Guidelines for Planning and Implementation of Watershed Development Program in India: A Review.Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report no. 48

Various impact assessment studies of the watershed development program have indicated that guidelines for planning and implementation of watershed development programs in India are evolving and updated over the years for enhancing the program’s impact. During the Comprehensive Assessment of Watershed Programs in India undertaken by the ICRISAT-led consortium, guidelines for planning and implementation covering village selection, community participation, planning process, disbursement of funds, sustainability and equity issues, implementation process, institutions, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation options were studied and the way forward is reported. Watershed development is identified as an excellent approach for developing all rain-fed regions (arid, semi-arid and sub-humid tropics). It is recommended that watersheds be developed in clusters so that those micro-watersheds larger than 1200 ha could be developed. For prioritization of watersheds, emphasis should be on high proportion of rain-fed areas, low GDP (more poverty), prime constraint of water scarcity (drinking and agriculture), low crop yields and proneness to severe land degradation. For enchaining community participation, a knowledge-based entry point activity (EPA) is proposed in place of cash-based EPA with cooperation and collegiate mode of community participation rather than contractual mode of participation. Participatory planning involving farmers, landless people and women is recommended in place of ad-hoc planning process. Increased allocation of Rs. 20,000 per ha for holistic watershed development encompassing productivity enhancement and livelihood activities in addition to soil and water conservation activities with an implementation period of 7-8 years are recommended. Timely release of funds could be achieved by direct release of the funds to the district watershed coordination committee from the national level. Capacity building is identified as the weakest link for scaling-up the benefits of watershed programs in the country. Capacity building through quality service providers by adopting the consortium approach is recommended. Similarly, monitoring and evaluation should be undertaken by qualified and trained staff only using simple and limited indicators in all the watersheds. Detailed monitoring, which needs technical inputs could be done only at benchmark watersheds in target-ecoregions/district by qualified technical institutes. Appropriate strengthening of community-based institutions with proper training and hand-holding through quality capacity building efforts would go a long way to enhanc the impact and sustainability of watershed programs to address the issues of equity, construction of low-cost rainwater harvesting structures throughout the toposequence along with in-situ conservation measures including productivity enhancement, to benefit small-scale land holders