A new paradigm in watershed management: A must for development of rainfed areas for inclusive growth

Abstract

Two third of agriculture in India is rain-fed and is also Ihe hot spot of poverty as is the case in Asia where large proportion of 852 million poor in the world reside. Rainfed areas in developing countries and panicularly so in India are at cross roads as looming water scarcity for achieving food security and reducing poverty tainled agriculture has come in the central stage. Large potential of rain-fed agriculture is untapped largely due 10 lack'of enabling policy support and investments. in drought-prone rainfed areas watershed management has shown the potential of douhlillg the agricultural productivity and increasing the rural family through increased water availability and diversifying the cropping and farming systems resulting in diversified sources of income. impact of watershed programs can be substantially enlumced by developing new approaches and enabling policies, however, additional investments are mustfor meeting the millennium development goal New paradigm . based Oil the learnings over last thirty years for people-centric holistic watershed management in.volving convergence; collective action consortium. approach, capacity development to address equity efficiency, environment, and economic concerns is urgently needed. Through new paradigm watershed management can be used as an entry point activity for improving livelihoods of rural poor ill rainfed areas to enable India to achieve inclusive and sustainable development for meeting the MDGs as well as achieving the food, water: and energy security. Concened efforts by all the stakeholders and actors will make India a global leader in the area of inclusive and sustainable development in drought-prone challenging rainfed areas to develop a watershed management as business model through public private partnerships hamessing the benefits of value chain and linking farmers to the market