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