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Deep Dive Case Study: Watershed development in India - Approach evolving through experience

In 2014, PROFOR supported a study that aimed to gather lessons learned and good practices from three high profile and successful watershed management projects in India, across geographical regions and agro-climatic zones:

  • The Karnataka Watershed Development Project (2001-2009)
  • The Uttaranchal Decentralized Watershed Development Project (2004-2012)
  • Himachal Pradesh Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project (2005-2017)

The main knowledge product was a peer-reviewed high-quality Report that (1) outlined the evolution of watershed development policy and practice in India - through national government efforts (rising from around USD 200 million per year in 2002-2007 to more than USD 500 million per year currently) and through various World Bank supported projects at state and national level (totaling more than 1 billion USD since 1980); (2) summarized good practices from the projects reviewed; (3) discussed challenges that remained; and (4) drew several important lessons and conclusions.

Apart from the Report, PowerPoint presentations were made for formal launch events, seminars and workshops in India and in Washington DC, while the material in the Report was used for preparing national guidelines, new World Bank-supported watershed projects and training programs in India, Malawi and Nigeria. This Note reviews the context, planning, implementation, and impact of the Report and attempts to draw some conclusions about the contribution of this Report to various outcomes.

Theme: 
Governance
Country: 

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