CHANGING LIVES, SAVING THE FUTURE Through a Holistic Watershed Development Spiral

1. Presented By Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) CHANGING LIVES,SAVING THE FUTUREThrough a Holistic Watershed Development Spiral

2. The Problem: Water Scarcity, Poverty, a Fractured Community & Climate Change Today 1.7 billion people are water stressed around the world, by 2025 the population would be over 3 billion. 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

3. Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR): Who We Are Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR), an NGO was established in 1993. Our Philosophy: Land degradation and water scarcity are the most intense and commonly felt needs of village communities that can bring diverse and competing groups of people together to begin their development process. 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 Our Vision: Communities, especially the poor within, are empowered to live in dignity and secure their livelihood in sustainable ecosystems.

5. The Geographic Area of Intervention

6. Land Treatment for Drought Proofing Stone Bunds

7. Drainage Treatment and Drought Proofing

8. The Impacts of Watershed Development

9. 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

10. Impacts on Agriculture Productivity and local employment Consolidated for 5 villages Consolidated for 10 villages

11. 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.

12. 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

13. How is this done: An Inclusive Community Involvement • The Village chooses to implement the project (self-selection) • Agree to non-negotiable disciplines • 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

14. What is done: Community 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. What is done: Important Aspects for continued Community Engagement & Sustainability • Key Issues consciously addressed: • Inclusiveness and equity (community takes responsibility) • Gender Sensitivity • Transparency • 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)

16. 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

17. 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

18. The Impacts: Unleashing A Development Spiral

19. Some More Impacts

20. The 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

21. Thank You for the Opportunity of Sharing our Experience! Visit us on www.wotr.org