Participatory Geomatics in Process based watershed development

Abstract

Watershed, being a hydrological unit, has its importance as a physical, biological and socio-economic entity for planning and management of natural resources. Optimal use of land and water resources in a sustainable manner results in long-term benefits to the society. Developmental activities in rural areas for resource conservation are recognized as one of the major challenges and also a complex problem to deal with. Watershed development has been in vogue for a long time and several developmental programmes have been implemented over time, but there is a need to review the conventional methods. Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System technologies are well established in these areas. Further, it is noted that community participation in the developmental process, along with monitoring and evaluation, plays a key role. Considering that about 70% of Indians live in rural areas and large proportion of these areas depend on rain fed agriculture, spread over different agro-climatic zones, it is found pertinent to explore participatory methods for natural resources management. Not much work is done on process based participatory watershed development with geomatics technology interventions. The present research focus is on developing such a model with appropriate integration of modern tools and technologies. The conventional model is analysed and an improved process based model is suggested. The proposed model is suitably improved with community role at every stage of development with an optimal blend of conventional and contemporary techniques. Participatory geomatics and information technology solutions, through innovative means, are considered for watershed development including monitoring and evalution. The proposed techniques are successfully tested through Karnataka Watershed Development programme, Karnataka State, India and the results are discussed. The outcome indicates many positive developments, that is, effective use of modern technology in planning and implementation which has resulted in improved agriculture productvity, reduced runoof, increased infiltration, self employment, improved livestock and milk yield, better socio-economic conditions and livelihood options. It is concluded that innovative means of implementing participatory watershed development have given rich dividends for natural resources development.