Actionable Policy Elements for 'Livestock Based Livelihoods' and 'Sustainable Environment' in the Watershed Context...

Livestock production is the traditional and one of the important sources of livelihood of men and women farmers in India. It provide livelihood to millions of farmers, especially in the marginalised and dry environment. Livestock also play an important role in natural resource protection. Livestock manure contributes to soil porosity, water holding capacity, soil nutrient retention capacity and provides suitable climate for soil micro flora and fauna. But livestock can also cause damage to the environment. Growing human and livestock population and adoption of non-sustainable practices, can lead to over grazing and rapid degradation of the environment. This affects the poor marginal farmers, especially women, who are depending on these resources for their livestock and their own livelihood. The increased demand for animal protein (livestock revolution) has enhanced the demand on natural resources.

LEAD (Livestock environment and Development) is a global Initiative, which looks at issues of livestock production and its environmental implications. LEAD promotes environmentally sustainable livestock production and offers options for enhancing positive and mitigating negative impacts of livestock on the environment. This is done by conducting research, creating awareness among stakeholders and by providing decision support tools to decision makers and planners. In India this is done through LEAD India Platform, supported by CALPI Programme of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Intercooperation (IC).

As part of creation of a knowledge base on livestock environment interactions in the watersheds in India, the global LEAD together with SDC-IC conducted a few research /studies in India. The first one was a desk study (Dr Mangurkar and Dr Ravikumar, 2000) followed by a primary research conducted by the International Water Management Institute (2005) in association with five local watershed organizations (WOTR, WASSAN, Samuha, Sampark and Sevamandir). This study looked at how livestock influence livelihood and environment and how watershed development influences all the three. Apart from these a working group (Dr B R Mangurkar, Dr Vijay Paul Sharma, Dr S L Seth and Dr Nitya S Ghotge) reviewed various national policies and relevant literature /reports to identify the policy gaps and prepared a set of approaches for sustainable and effective utilisation of livestock resources in the watershed context. While the LEAD study by IWMI was conducted at a micro (watershed /state) level, the working group’s focus was at the national /macro level. This gave a good picture of livestock environment and development issues in the watershed context in India.

This policy brief with actionable policy elements for 'livestock based livelihoods and sustainable environment in the watersheds in India' is drawn from the findings of the above studies. This policy brief would be helpful to watershed policy makers, planners and implementers to integrate livestock considerations into the design and implementation of watershed development and management programmes for enhancing the livelihood of the marginalised livestock keepers without undermining the natural resource base.

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This action policy emerged from LEAD working group study and LEAD India Research by International Water Management Institute in association with WOTR, WASSAN, SAMUHA, SAMPARK and SEVA MANDIR for the Capitalization of Livestock Programme Experiences India, a programme of the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation and the Inter-cooperation

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