Though the watershed program contributed significantly
to address the critical issues of drought prone areas,
there are many challenges, on the way to progress.
Institution Development, Participatory Processes,
Indigenous Technologies, Gender and Equity
considerations, Capacity Building strategies - deserve
more attention. The revisions of guidelines are not
necessarily based on analysis of experiences on
ground. It is important to connect the policy
formulation processes with the processes on ground.
There is a need for understanding the processes on the
ground and provide independent feedback to state and
national level policy makers so that systems are
supportive of participatory processes that enhance
sustainable management of environmental resources by
communities.
With this background, WASSAN has been focusing on
Process Studies. Various issues related to the
implementation and management aspect have been deeply
looked into and the learnings and insights have
been taken for several advocacy related initiatives at
the state level.
Process Guidelines issued by Andhra Pradesh Government is one among many of such
initiatives. Now WASSAN has undertaken a national
level process study to understand the processes in
various states across the country.....
Looking at Processes...
 Understanding Processes in Watersheds Development
Projects in India
Study of
Processes in Watershed Development Program in Ranga Reddy
District -
Andhra Pradesh
Understanding
Processes in Watershed Program - Process study in Nalgonda
District
- Andhra Pradesh
Management
Systems that Promote Participatory Processes in Watershed
Program
Process Study in Ranga Reddy District (2nd & 3rd
Phases)
Assessment of Short Probation Period Achievements in New
Watershed Programs in
Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh
Upscaling of Successful Experiences in the Mainstream
Watershed Programme in India - Mechanisms, Instruments and Policy Considerations
Understanding Processes in Watersheds Development
Projects in India
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. With this
objective WASSAN has undertaken a national level
process study to critically look at the
processes in the watershed development program in
various states across the country.... The study is being supported by Indo Canada
Environmental Facility (ICEF), New Delhi.. The states and
districts for the study are identified based on
semi arid and sub humid regions/ protected areas/
buffer zone areas/ highly stratified societies. Eight watersheds in each state
appropriately distributed on the basis of above
criteria are selected. The study is in the states of Chattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat, Rajastan, Uttar
Pradesh and Nagaland...
For
details ....
Study of
Processes in Watershed Development Program in
Ranga Reddy District, Andhra Pradesh
A study to
identify intervention strategies for improving
participatory processes in watershed development program in Ranga
Reddy district was taken up by WASSAN in collaboration
with Andhra Pradesh Academy of Rural Development at the initiative of the Project Director, DPAP,
Ranga Reddy district. This study aimed at understanding the
process of operationalisation of watershed development
program in Ranga Reddy district. .
As part of the study, 10
watersheds selected randomly by DPAP were studied in depth
to understand the processes. The report
presented the most common observations, special practices
and implications related to processes categorized into 15
key issues organized into five broad heads. While the study
finds that the watershed program is successfully
mainstreamed, some key processes are weak and are not
grounded adequately. It identified the scope for improving
these key processes to give a 'process orientation' to the
program from the present 'works orientation'...
For
details ...
Understanding
Processes in Watershed Program -
Study in Nalgonda Andhra Pradesh
Government of Andhra Pradesh
scaled up the program (5500 projects, highest number of
projects in the country) by developing innovative
administrative systems & collaborating with large number of
Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Government
Organizations (GOs) as Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs).
In this background, the conflict between quality and
quantity also became more prominent in various situations.
There is a growing concern that appropriate systems and
adequate preparations are not in place. For developing such
systems, a need was identified to closely look at the
processes in watershed development program. Andhra Pradesh Academy of
Rural Development (APARD) and WASSAN, conducted a study to understand
the processes of the program in Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar,
Kurnool, Prakasam and Anantapur Districts. This study is
contributed to the process of exploring
opportunities and strategies for scaling up of the program
in the state without compromising on quality. This report is an output of the
study of Processes on watershed program in Nalgonda
district. It contains responses
of committee members, users, SHGs classified into Most
Common Practices and Special Practices. And implications of
each practice Strategies for capacity building were
suggested, based on the perceptions/ practices/ processes on
the ground.
For
details ...
Management
Systems that Promote Participatory Processes in Watershed
Program - Study in Ranga Reddy District
(2nd & 3rd Phases)
Guidelines for
Watershed Development (GOI, 1994) demand significant
"shifts" at various levels --in thinking, management systems
& practices and activities. For a government organization
like DPAP, promoting and facilitating a participatory
development program is a new experience. Over a period of
time, a need was identified for understanding more about the
processes on the ground to
develop appropriate strategies for strengthening the program
at various levels. One is aware of the strong
influence of management systems at DPAP level on the
processes at grass root level. The processes at village
level do not become participatory, if the promoting
organizations like DPAP / PIAs adopt an authoritarian
style of functioning. For a government organization to
support and promote a participatory program like watershed
program, an entirely new style of functioning and management
systems needs to be designed so that the main objectives of
the program can be realized. With this background, the Study
of Process in Watershed Program in RR Dist was conceived. The
scope of the study was expanded from understanding the
processes at grass root level to understanding the
management systems at DPAP office. The objectives
of the study were : To understand the process of
operationalising watershed program in Ranga Reddy district
and to analyze major gaps; To analyze the role
perceptions, capacity building needs and enabling systems in
place (with respect to participatory processes) at various
stakeholder groups; Based on the above analysis, identify
strategies and management systems to bridge the gaps through
a participatory process.
For
details ..
Assessment of Short Probation Period Achievements in New
Watershed Programs in Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh
With the Andhra Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Project (APRLP), District Water Management Agency (DWMA), Nalgonda has experimented
with several process improvement measures. One among such
efforts is a short probation period of 3 months for the PIAs
and new watersheds. As per the MoU the PIAs are expected to
achieve the following by the end of 3 months of the project
initiation: It is expected that about 40% of the people in
the watershed know about the objectives of APRLP. Various
communication programs are a means to achieve this.
Identifying poorest of the poor and organizing them into new
groups and strengthening at least 3 of the existing groups,
mobilizing shramdanam for at least two days from each
household, Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) to establish their office with minimum
facilities and update the basic records are some of the
critical indicators selected for assessment purpose. This study was
undertaken to assess such short probation period
achievements. The objectives of the study are ; Assessing
the achievement of outputs expected during the probation
period at the watershed level and at PIA level and
suggesting the areas for improvement based on the
assessment...
For
details ..
Upscaling of Successful Experiences in Mainstream
Watershed Programme
in India - Mechanisms, Instruments and Policy Considerations
This is based upon detailed case studies of
watershed projects funded by DANWADEP in three states namely
Orissa, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh as well as analysis of
experiences under innovative watershed projects funded by
various organizations like Government of India; Bilateral
projects and NGOs. It synthesizes the lessons from studies
on five themes/sub-themes under the assignment: (i) User
rights, (ii) Capacity building, (iii) Equity for resource
poor families, (iv) Participatory monitoring and evaluation
systems, and (v) Withdrawal strategy / post project
sustainability. These themes were pursued by five anchor
organizations associated with the study namely Watershed
Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN), Poverty Learning Foundation
(PLF),
Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR,) National Institute of
Agricultural and Extension Management (MANAGE) and Watershed
Development Corporation Unit (WDCU).
For
details ..
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