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Understanding
Processes in Watershed Development Projects in India
is an attempt to bring focus on the processes of the watershed
development projects. It is an attempt to provide feed back to
the policy makers, donors and field level facilitators on the
processes at the field level. It is an attempt to assess,
diagnose and compare process at field level in different
projects.
The main purpose of the study is to strengthen
the participatory processes in watershed development projects
and its policies. The study was conducted in seven states of
India - Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh,
Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Nagaland. In each state, a local
nodal agency anchored the study. A detailed methodology
consisting of several tools was designed together by WASSAN
and its partners. Through these methodologies and tools,
experiences and responses of several actors in the field were
gathered and carefully documented.
A total of 55 watersheds were profiled in the
seven states. 30 projects were from Government of India
supported and Line Department facilitated projects; 15
projects were from Government of India supported and NGO
facilitated projects; 3 projects were funded by bilateral
projects; 7 projects were funded by International NGO Donors
and facilitated by local NGOs.
Each state team prepared a report profiling the
watershed processes of the state. Processes from all
watersheds from all states were consolidated by all nodal
agencies together. Based on this process data, the process
analysis of the watershed development projects was conducted.
The process data generated from the field work has rich
contents, depth and numerous dimensions. To justify the
objectives of the study and present various dimensions of
watershed processes, the report is presented in six volumes.
Background
Methodology
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Sample Selection
-
Organising the Study
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Key Activities
-
Expected Outputs and Follow up
Background
Recurring droughts and land degradation ravage
large parts of the country, particularly the 77% of
geographical area under Arid, Semi-arid and Dry Sub-humid
climatic zones. Estimates of the magnitude of land
degradation in India vary considerably, one estimate puts the
figure at 107.43 million ha (or 32.75 per cent of the total
geographical area) affected by various forms and degrees of
land degradation, another estimate by the National Remote
Sensing Agency, estimates it at 75.70 m.ha. Of the latter
estimate, degraded forest areas constitute 16.30 m.ha and
non-forest degraded areas account for 44.39 m.ha. Of the
estimated total of 75.50 m.ha, about 58 m.ha are treatable and
can be restored to original productivity levels. In 1993 only
5.70 m.ha were reported to have received any restorative
treatment. If one million hectares were successfully treated
every year, it would still take more than fifty years to
resuscitate all the affected areas. Such is the magnitude of
the problem!
A much more serious problem is the lack of
sustainability of the restorative treatment efforts. The
Technical Committee on Drought-Prone Areas Programme and
Desert Development Programme suggested a process oriented,
people centred approach to watershed development.
Subsequently, the watershed guidelines of 1994 made the first
radical departure in the development of dry lands and
drought-prone regions of India. It has envisaged a
participatory process oriented approach centred on the
communities with intensive external facilitation. Organising
community into sustainable institutions of primary
stakeholders, building their capacities and intensive
facilitation to help these CBOs to plan for the development of
their natural resources, facilitating appropriate technical
choices and evolve sustainable management systems are the
major processes envisaged.
As in any process-oriented programs, the
impacts of watershed development primarily depend on the
rigour with which the envisaged participatory processes are
operationalised. Since its inception in 1994-5, there is no
comprehensive review of how these processes are
operationalised in the watershed program in India, in spite of
nearly 7 years of experience. A preliminary survey of the
experience suggests a varied and divergent experience across
the states in the country. A re-look into the program would
help in identifying the variations and/or deviations in the
processes, major gaps and innovations at various levels. Such
a process would help in improving the program design and
taking the watershed movement ahead.
WASSAN has been actively working at various
levels (field support services, training, research and policy
formulation) in the watershed program as a support
organisation. Its process evaluation studies in two districts
of Andhra Pradesh has yielded substantial results in
identifying the process and policy gaps and raised several
issues. A methodology for conducting such studies has also
evolved in this process.
These studies in a sequel have contributed to
evolving an ‘operational process guidelines’ for watershed
program adopted by the government of Andhra Pradesh. These
process guidelines are a result of several consultations on
the issues raised in the process evaluation studies anchored
by WASSAN.
The study of "Understanding
Processes in Watershed Development Projects in
India"
draws from this experience and the expertise.
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Methodology
The study looked at the participatory processes
on ground in the implementation of the watershed development
program and reasons the status with respect to the enabling
environment available in the district and the policy space in
the state.
Sample selection:
The states and districts for the study were
identified based on semi arid and sub humid regions/ protected
areas/ buffer zone areas/ highly stratified societies. Eight
watersheds in each state were selected appropriately
distributed on the basis of above criteria. Some of the ICEF
projects in operation in selected state were also included.
The selection of these watersheds was based on
the ‘best cases’ perception within the state identified by the
state department managing the watershed program. The districts
where these watersheds are located were automatically selected
for the study.
The processes envisaged in the watershed
guidelines were the bench mark for assessment. However, it was
also proposed to include one watershed even outside the
government program as a ‘best case example’ to serve as a
reference point.
The variants of government implemented and NGO/
CBO implemented watersheds were considered in the sample.
Completed watersheds or those nearing completion were only
considered in the sample.
The states of Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya
Pradesh, Orissa, Meghalaya, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were
identified for the purpose of the study. The list of states
were finalized in the steering committee meeting after
consultations.
Organising the Study:
WASSAN took the full responsibility of
organizing the study and achieving its objectives. It deployed
necessary team for the purpose. Apart from this, the
institutional support from WASSAN was also available to the
team from the experienced senior members of WASSAN at
different stages of the study. With its wider linkages,
WASSAN also ensured that the local resource organisations and
resource persons are involved in the study in each state. The
study was completed in two years
Steering
committee:
The study was guided by a steering committee
consisting of persons with longstanding contribution to the
watershed development in India. The steering committee met as
and when required during the course of the study; to finalise
the methodology, to monitor progress, for an interim review
and also at the completion stage.
Workshops: WASSAN initially organised inception
workshops with several key players in the watershed program at
national and state level, where the study was conducted to
share the objectives of the study. The methodology was finalised
in the framework of inception workshop by the all the members
of study teams from each state.
WASSAN identified partners in each state to
participate in the study and provided them necessary support
in terms of developing methodologies, fieldwork and compiling
of the final reports in each state. Apart from the dedicated
team from WASSAN for this purpose, other members of WASSAN
also joined the study teams at critical stages of the
project.
Towards the end of the study, consultative
workshops were organised in each state to present the results
and take feedback. The final report was compiled and shared
with wider audience. Efforts were made to present the results
to the Ministry of Rural Development and the Planning
Commission. The analysis and process observations of the study
were published for wider dissemination.
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Key Activities:
At the watershed level:
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From
an analysis of the watershed guidelines (1994, 2001 and
2003) and reports of various committees (like the Technical
Committee, Eswaran Committee), the envisaged participatory
processes were distilled
-
The
processes identified was sequenced according to the phases
of the program (for e.g., Awareness building phase,
community organisation, action planning etc).
-
Key
questions on the processes at each stage was formed specific
to a particular group i.e. for SHGs, for User Groups, for
Watershed Committees, Panchayats, Labour etc.,
-
A
mix of participant interviews, stakeholder group discussions
and other PRA exercises were used for data generation,
appropriately backed up by the process questionnaires.
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The
project management data (action plans, physical and
financial achievement statements, monitoring reports etc.,)
was analysed.
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Appropriate qualitative assessment tools were developed for
analysing the data
At the district and PIA levels
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The
inputs given by the PIAs and the district administration in
the sample watersheds were mapped and analysed. These
include the capacity building inputs, budget releases,
technical support, monitoring etc.
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The
administration processes being in practice at the district
were mapped in detail under a structured questionnaire.
-
An
analysis of the departmental circulars/ instructions were
also part of the exercise
At the State level
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Expected
Outputs and Follow up Action:
The study generated many outputs in the form of
methodological tools that help in understanding the
processes. Reports for each state were prepared by respective
study teams in the uniform structure as per the guidance of
the Steering Committee. The state reports were compiled by
WASSAN under the guidance of the Steering Committee and shared
with a larger audience at the national level.
-
Based on a common structure, the state level reports for
each state were compiled and shared with stakeholders in
each state.
-
A
consolidated report at the national level was prepared by
WASSAN.
-
A
set of process guidelines in the shape of a manual
explaining the most effective processes to be followed were
conceptualised. These include indicators for monitoring the
processes.
The study and the larger consultation processes
led to clear actionable points at the end. It is in the
sharing meetings it was expected that a national network would
emerge to pursue the agenda further and for advocacy. An
action plan evolved during the end- consultation process to
follow up and on the advocacy strategy. Some of the key
outputs in this direction are:
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Recommendations for strengthening common guidelines for
incorporating effective processes and reorient the training/
capacity building action plans suitably.
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Strengthening of networks comprising of CBOs, NGOs and other
organizations involved natural resource managements in each
of the states studied.
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Proposals for better advocacy through periodic consultations
of a National Network.
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Strategies for funding of watershed development program in
people’s sector/ CBOs in some states.
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