CHANGING LIVES,CHANGING LIVES,SAVING THE FUTURESAVING THE FUTURE

Through a HolisticHolistic Watershed Development SpiralDevelopment Spiral

Presented By

Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR)

30 % of Maharashtra is semi-arid

30% of India is semi arid and 7-8 % arid

30% of the Earth is semi-arid & 20% is hot arid lands

The Problem: The Problem: Water Scarcity, Poverty, a Fractured Water Scarcity, Poverty, a Fractured Community & Climate ChangeCommunity & Climate Change

Today 1.7 billion people are water stressed around the world, by 2025 the population would be over 3 billion.

Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR): Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR): Who We AreWho We Are

Our Goal: To reach out to 1,500,000 direct beneficiaries and cover 1,000,000 hectares (2,500,000 acres) by the year 2015

Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR), an NGO was established in 1993.

Our Philosophy:Land degradation and water scarcity are the most intense and commonly feltneeds of village communities that can bring diverse and competing groups ofpeople together to begin their development process.

Our Vision:Communities, especially the poor within, are empowered to live in dignity and secure their livelihood in sustainable ecosystems.

The Geographic Area of InterventionThe Geographic Area of Intervention

Stone Bunds

Land Treatment for Drought Proofing

Drainage Treatment and Drought Proofing

The Impacts of Watershed Development

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

Rainfall (mm) Green Veg.(ha.) Barren Land (ha.)

1197.45

773

115

819.5 858

30

Rainfall, Green Vegetation and Barren Land (Jan.'96 and Dec.'99)

January 1996 December 1999

IMPACTS on Water

Water harvested in a year of 400mm rain fall

• On 1000 acres 745 million liters• On 1,329,550 acres 990 billion liters per

annum

Impacts on Agriculture Productivity and local employment

Consolidated for 10 villages

Consolidated for 5 villages

Policy Impacts

Capacity Building approach adopted in Government Programmes The National Watershed Development Fund (NWDF) set up by Govt. of

India based on this approach. Participatory Net Planning (PNP) adopted by various state governments and

other projects Government of Maharashtra adopted the handholding of WOTR in the

Mother NGO concept. The Rajiv Gandhi Watershed mission (MP) adopted the PnP & village

Envisioning

Replicability All NGOs trained by WOTR have undertaken government and other

watershed development projects. 4 Village Development Committees have taken up watershed development

projects neighboring villages WOTR has assisted projects in Tanzania and Kenya and implemented this

approach in Boroma district in Somaliland.

The Stakeholders

The Local Community – the Primary Stakeholder: Through their General Body; Gram Panchayat; Village Development Committee; the Women’s SHGs, Forest Protection Committee, other committees

Facilitating NGOs / Field Teams

Donor Agencies (German, Swiss, NABARD, INGOs, Indian Corporates; Govt of Maharashtra etc….)

Local Government departments (linkages with the local community)

Other Service providers (Agri University, MF institutions, others)

WOTR (for concept development and the Facilitating Agency)

Research Unit

How is this done: An Inclusive Community InvolvementAn Inclusive Community Involvement

Village institutions involved:• The General Body (Gram Sabha of all adult members women & men)• The Gram Panchayat and the Village Development Committee

(representative of all communities including landless poor) • The Women’s Self-Help Groups & their Apex Body • The Forest Protection Committee & others

The Village chooses to implement the project (self-selection) Agree to non-negotiable disciplines

What is done: Community EngagementCommunity Engagement Village Envisioning for their development

Designing and Planning the project, step by step

Implementation

Maintenance of Accounts, Records and Report to Village & Donors

Participatory Impact Monitoring & Peer Group Assessment

The next development initiative (may be taken up simultaneously)

15

Key Issues consciously addressed: Inclusiveness and equity (community takes responsibility)

Gender Sensitivity Transparency

What is done: Important Aspects for continued Important Aspects for continued Community Engagement & SustainabilityCommunity Engagement & Sustainability

Plan for Sustainability: Local Institutions Maintenance Fund Water Budgeting Quality Education & with an eco-systems focus Linkages with government and other service providers Addressing related issues (eg renewable energy; rural tourism)

Confronting Challenges: The What & How of the Innovation Confronting Challenges: The What & How of the Innovation

From the Caste and Class groups:-The tool designed is objective – the percentage of households of a particular community has their respective representation in the Village Development Committee.-The VDC is an official sub-committee of the Gram Panchayat- The method is transparent – the village decides who are the very poor; poor; average and better off in an open forum.-The women select their representatives (number decided by the project – we assert our criteria)

• The Equity Issue: contribution according to the economic status as decided on by the village (a differential contribution, criteria of the project) difficult but accepted after reasoning and motivation

• Village envisioning: done by all wards in the village and prioritized according to the needs of the majority .

• One step at a time

IMPACTS on Water

Water harvested in a year of 400mm rain fall

• On 1000 acres 745 million liters• On 1,329,550 acres 990 billion liters per

annum

The Impacts: Unleashing A Development Spiral

Some More Impacts

The Current Status of this Innovative ApproachThe Current Status of this Innovative Approach

Initiated in 2005:

- Approximately 70-80 villages (all villages implemented since 2005)

- In Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, AP & Rajasthan-Partner NGOs in this implementation over 15

- Women now have a 40-45% active representation in the Village Development Committee-All Committees now have a proportionate representation of all castes & classes-People from lower caste communities now head the Village Development Committee

The Approach is now tested, systematized and ready for large scale adoption The WASUNDHARA Approach

Thank You Thank You for the Opportunity of Sharing

our Experience!

Visit us on Visit us on www.wotr.orgwww.wotr.org