Rehabilitation of watersheds in semi-arid areas is not an easy task. Combining genuine village level participation with coordinated support from government agencies is even more difficult. But according to the Overseas Development Institute researchers, the Indo-German Watershed Development Programme (IGWDP) is overcoming these problems in Maharashtra, India. Their report details the characteristics of IGWDP and its progress and expansion since 1989.

The principal goal of IGWDP has been to evolve a participatory watershed development programme which can be replicated over wide areas. This requires stakeholders at international, national and local levels to correlate varying interests in the interest of achieving common programme objectives. A major dilemma in watershed areas is that key resources (such as water, trees or pasture) are 'common property.' As a result, social and political aspects of rehabilitation are just as complex as the economic and environmental aspects.

IGWDP currently covers 92,000ha in 20 districts of Maharashtra, India. There are 74 watersheds in the programme and 50 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are delivering it. This coverage is expanding and new NGOs are growing out of village groups already successfully managing their watersheds. Lessons learned from a first pilot project have cut the time needed to motivate and organise a village from 18 months to six months. Initial success has also boosted support from official agencies, banks and other stakeholders.

Although based on a 'people-centred' approach, IGWDP is more structured and directive than many comparable NGO programmes. It also sees interrelationships with other agencies, especially government service providers at all levels, as essential. While recognising the importance of indigenous knowledge, the Programme supplements this with modern techniques and management practices. Participating NGOs are also expected to undertake technical training. Characteristics of the IGWDP approach at local level include:

• social mobilisation and creation of a Village Watershed Committee as the executive agency for projects
• stimulation of village 'ownership' through community participation in design and implementation,
• external funding, especially for wages for those whose livelihoods depend on common resources
• links with government departments from the outset, especially Forestry (re non-wood forest products)
• training schemes carried out by a nearby agricultural university
• credit from banks for both agricultural/livestock and non-agricultural purposes
• balancing autonomy of individual agencies with joint responsibility for project management
• managing social tensions to meet legitimate interests of weaker as well as dominant groups.

There are many examples of participatory watershed management micro-projects managed by NGOs. Yet they remain very small scale and can only be expanded by repeating the same slow, costly, in-depth process with each village. By contrast, many government-led projects have expanded rapidly. But they lack the local 'ownership' necessary for sustainable management of common resources. If projects are to be both participatory and rapidly replicable, preconditions for scaling-up must be identified and incorporated in project design. Preconditions for scaling-up include:

• close engagement of stakeholders and marshalling political support at all levels
• planning methods technically acceptable to funders, but participatory and accessible to communities
• capacity building and technical support to community based organisations
• a framework for local collaboration between NGOs, community organisations and government agencies
• channelling of funds to local organisations with a minimum of intermediary stages
• mechanisms to promote the approach across major political and administrative boundaries.

Source(s):
Scaling up participatory watershed development in India. Lessons from the Indo-German Watershed Development Programme. ODI Natural Resources Perspectives #17, by J.Farrington and C.Lobo (1997) Full document.

Funded by: NRPAD, DFID, UK (1996-1999)

id21 Research Highlight: 1998-June-07

Further Information:
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Tel: +44 (0)171 3931600
Fax: +44 (0)171 3931699
Contact the contributor: agren@odi.org.uk

Overseas Development Institute, UK