How to do integrated watershed management in the world

3. SAI BHASKAR REDDY NAKKA
How to do Integrated
Watershed Management in
the World
Sustainable Development of Natural Resources

4. Copyright © 2019 by Sai Bhaskar Reddy Nakka
This book is declared as Open Knowledge by the
Author
First edition
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5. to the farmers

7. Contents
Introduction 1
Precious Little Water 3
Desertification 5
Water and Sustainability 7
Watershed 9
Participatory watershed development and Manage-
ment 11
Strategies for Sustainable Groundwater 14
Tanks for Irrigation 16
Drinking water 17
Watershed Activities 18
Discussion 27
Recommendations 29
About the Author 34

9. Introduc on
Water, which sustains all life, is a limited and precious
resource.
The 1997 Comprehensive Assessment of the Freshwater
Resources of the World, prepared by the United Nations
and the Stockholm Environment Institute for the Earth
Summit review session, found that by 2025, two thirds of
the world’s population—close to 5.5 billion people—will
live in countries in which efforts to achieve economic
growth and social progress are likely to face serious prob-
lems, given the continuation of current water usage and
management policies.
Poor women and men – who need water for domestic
use, food security and income-generation – are most
threatened by this emerging crisis, particularly those
in developing countries with low, unpredictable rainfall,
limited resources and rapidly growing populations.
Increasing human demands for water and unsustainable
rates of water withdrawal are likely to worsen water short-
ages. Other factors also have the potential to affect long-
term water availability.
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10. Water has become a critical theme in any rural / urban
scenario. For a developing agrarian country like India
water is the critical input for development.
2

11. Precious Li le Water
The hydrosphere presently holds about 1,384,120,000 km3
of water in solid, liquid and gaseous states, most of which
is stored in oceans. Only 2.6 percent is fresh water, of this
77.23 percent is frozen in ice cap, icebergs, and glaciers.
Groundwater found upto a depth of 4 kms accounts for
another 22.21 percent of fresh water. The remaining
little water is stored in the soil, lakes, rivers, biosphere
and atmosphere. Therefore, freshwater is the precious
commodity for all terrestrial life on earth.
Water is a precious resource. Less than 1% of the Earth’s
fresh water is readily accessible for human use (Commis-
sion on Sustainable Development 1997). This equates to
only one teaspoon of water out of a full bathtub.
Water use has grown exponentially in modern times.
The first 80 years of this century saw a 200 percent in-
crease in the world’s average per capita water use, which
accounted for a remarkable 566 percent increase in with-
drawals from the world’s freshwater resources. This mas-
sive increase in water extraction coincides with another
“debt” on the water-ledger:
3

12. Understanding the earth’s natural water cycle and the
land’s watershed are the keys to sustainable water man-
agement.
In the hydrological cycle water has its own time and pace.
Spatial availability of the water by its location and use has
its value.
In the hydrological cycle the path of the water along the
land is defined as the watershed. Man’s interventions to
this watershed has led to many environmental problems
including, flooding, droughts, extinction of native plants
and animals, water contamination, and depletion of fresh-
water reserves.
Hence sustainable water management must consider both
watershed protection and water conservation.
4

13. Deser fica on
The semi-arid areas are prone for degradation of dry-
lands and desertification. This is caused primarily by
unsustainable human activities and climatic variations.
(Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-
arid and dry sub-humid areas. It does not refer to the
expansion of existing deserts).The most commonly cited
forms of unsustainable land use are over-cultivation,
overgrazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices.
Therefore the semi-arid areas are the most important to
make that decisive shift from drought management to
drought proofing.
More than 250-million people are directly affected by
desertification. Additionally, about one billion people
in more than 100 countries are at risk. These people
include many of the world’s poorest, most marginalized
and politically weak citizens.
Some of the consequences of desertification include the
reduction of the land’s resilience to natural climate vari-
ability and soil that become less productive. Essential
resources – fertile topsoil, vegetation cover and healthy
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14. crops – are the first victims of desertification. The people
themselves begin to suffer when food and water supplies
become threatened. In the worst cases they endure famine,
mass migration and massive economic losses.
Desertification is considered as a major global environ-
mental issue largely because of the link between dry-land
degradation and food production. If desertification is not
stopped and reversed, food-yields in many affected areas
will decline.
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15. Water and Sustainability
Sustainability is a problem which faces all development,
in industrialized countries as well as in the developing
world. In recent years the debate has taken on new urgency
through the adoption of Agenda 21 at the Earth Summit
in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. In the global debate sus-
tainability is considered primarily in terms of continuing
to improve human well-being, whilst not undermining
the natural resource base on which future generations will
have to depend.
For sustainability of water, this would mean that water
continues to be available in the same or more quantity and
at the same or better quality.
Sustainability of water resources includes various other
factors such as: Social factors, Financial elements, The
natural environment, Durable gender equity and empow-
erment, Technical issues, and, Institutional arrangements.
7

16. Watershed programme for sustainable regional
development
Watershed programme is one of the means to address the
regional resource management program for addressing
the shortage of water.
The natural watershed is responsible for providing water
to the environment. Managing this watershed sustainably
can enhance the natural habitat, conserve water, and pro-
vide long term water storage and flood protection. Thereby
it ensures the natural replenishing of water resources.
Protecting the watershed therefore, becomes the highest
priority in sustainable water management.
It starts from the premise that the problem can be solved at
its source if rural indigenous communities are mobilized
to produce water — that is, to increase the supply of
water available for their own needs and, by extension, for
society as a whole. Increasing society’s ability to produce
water, as well as use it more efficiently, can bring about
an interrelated series of benefits that will dramatically im-
prove environmental, sanitary, and productive conditions
among some of the poorest social groups.
8

17. Watershed
The term ‘watershed’, is defined as land area from which
water drains to a given point i.e., stream, river, or lake. In
this context watershed is considered to be synonymous
with catchment and drainage basin.
A watershed can be very large (e.g. draining thousands of
square miles to a major river or lake or the ocean), or very
small, such as a 20-acre watershed that drains to a pond.
A small watershed that nests inside of a larger watershed
is sometimes referred to as a sub-watershed.
In other words, each watershed–indeed each watershed
zone–has unique living and nonliving components that
interact, with one element responding to the action or
change of another.
Often referred to as landform engineering, its primary
goal is to manipulate and enhance the natural flow of water
to improve the site’s ability to catch, hold, and absorb
water. To harvest rainwater and ground water recharge.
Integrated Watershed Approach is the process of plan-
ning and implementing water and natural resources ……an
emphasis on integrating the bio-physical, socio-economic
9

18. and institutional aspects.
The evolution of watershed concepts and approach in
India.
10

19. Par cipatory watershed
development and Management
It is a top down approach of involving the primary stake-
holders in planning, designing, developing and manage-
ment of watershed.
Awareness is an important factor for involving people
in water management. At Village-level self Help Groups
(SHGs) and User Groups (UGs) have been created for stakes
in a watershed programme. Overall there are efforts to a
sense of ownership among villagers for construction of
water harvesting structures and their maintenance.
There are also Water Users Associations (WUAs) in the vil-
lages. The formation of these WUAs is now generally seen
as the most effective strategy for ensuring farmers’/users’
participation in the management of water for irrigated
agriculture.
A good functional relationship should exist between the
watershed community and the gram sabhas under the
panchayat raj framework.
Watershed plus activities should address livelihoods,
11

20. and also lead to livelihoods diversification. Watershed is
the approach and sustainable livelihoods and livelihoods
diversification is the mission.
12

21. 13

22. Strategies for Sustainable
Groundwater
When broadly considered, alternative management
strategies are composed of a small number of general
approaches, as outlined below.
Use sources of water other than local ground water: The
main possibilities are shift the source of water, either
completely or in part, from ground water to surface water,
or import water (usually, but not necessarily, surface
water) from outside river-basin.
Change rates or spatial patterns of ground-water pumpage:
Possibilities include a decrease in pumpage, or a change
in the spatial distribution of pumpage to minimize its
existing or potential unwanted effects. Management
strategies might include varying combinations of these
approaches.
Increase recharge to the ground-water system: Recharge
of surface water or reused water of good quality by various
landform engineering structures.
The short list of general approaches may suggest that
14

23. proposing and evaluating alternative management
strategies is deceptively simple. On the contrary, ground
water is withdrawn from complex, three-dimensional
systems, and many possible combinations of these
approaches typically should be considered in developing
management strategies for a particular ground-water
system.
15

24. Tanks for Irriga on
Artificial lake is called ‘tank’ it is locally called as cheruvu
or kunta. They are largely seen in regions of uncertain
rainfall. They are formed in natural hollows or depressions
or sloping land by building a dam or bund on the lower
side to hold water, by enclosing a semi-circular or semi-
elliptical area.
In the tanks system of irrigation controlling the flow of
water can easily be accomplished by letting nature do the
work with no energy expenditures.
Earlier the community at the local level was having total
control on the management of the water bodies, in the
last 50 years the responsibility is falling more on the
Government and it is increasing. This led to distraction of
the cause of management of water bodies.
16

25. Drinking water
Drinking water is the most important basic need for any
habitation to exist. This resource is required to be peren-
nial and ubiquitous (within the limits of habitation prefer-
ably) for self-sustenance. It is the responsibility of the
people to protect and enhance the sources available.
In this regard both surface and groundwater resources
are considered. In general, groundwater sources are the
cleanest and most energy-efficient source since it is often
local, requires very little treatment, and is easily extracted.
17

26. Watershed Ac vi es
Guiding Design Principles
• Reducing the Slope
• Moderate the velocity of flowing water
• Supplemental Irrigation
• Improving the Water holding Capacity of soils
• Non Exposure of bare soil to Water and Wind
• Improving the infiltration and Percolation of Rain
Water
• Reducing the Evaporation Losses
• Addition of biomass availability
• Employment generation through manual work
• Use of Indigenous Knowledge
• Use of local material
18

27. Physical works
Engineering Treatments
Land Levelling
• Bunding
• Earthen works
• Stone and Pebble removal
Trench
• Continuos contour trenching
• Continuous peripheral contour trenching
• Staggered trenching on hill slopes
• Water Absorption
• Peripheral
Gully Control Works
• Earthen Gully plug
• Loose boulder Structure
• Sunken Pond
• Stone check
• Rock Fill Dam
• Gabion
• Earthen Gully Plug (Nala bund)
• Check Wall
• Check Dam
• Percolation tanks
19

28. • Farm ponds
• Dug-out ponds
• Rock fill dams
• Feeder channels
• Supply channels
• Desilting of tanks
• Restoration of tanks
• Breach closures
• Diversion drains
• Plantations / Vegetative barriers
• Grasslands development
• Ecosystem development
Agronomic Treatments
• Contour Tillage (Cultivation Across the slope)
• Summer Ploughing
• Dead Furrows
• Selection of Drought-Resistant Varieties
• Early Maturing Varieties
• Agri-Horticulture
• Soil building Crops
• Bunding in farmers’ fields
• Application of Organic Matter
• Mulching
• Mixed and Inter Cropping
• Contingent Planning
20

29. Check dam
Percolation tank or Farm pond
21

30. Check dam
Mini tank
22

31. Sunken Ponds / pits and Loose boulder bunds
Brush wood
23

32. Terraced slopes
24

33. Vegetative controls of erosion
Staggered trenches
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34. 26

35. Discussion
While the world’s growing demand for water is a serious
problem, the story is more complicated than just too many
people putting their straws in the glass. The growing
conflicts over water use are about the broader questions
about ownership of common resources, and equity of
access to those resources.
Human race has taken water for granted and massively
misjudged the capacity of the earth’s water systems to
sustain the demands made upon it. Our supply of available
fresh water is finite and represents less than half of one
percent of the world’s total water stock. Thirty-one
countries are facing water stress and scarcity and over a
billion people lack adequate access to clean drinking water.
It is anticipated that by the year 2025, as much as two-
thirds of the world’s population will be living with water
shortages or absolute water scarcity.
Access to water is clearly the most basic of human needs.
Improving water supply and sanitation service delivery is
crucial in the quest to reduce poverty. Roughly 1.1 billion
people lack access to improved water. At the same time,
27

36. 2.4 billion people live without improved sanitation and 4
billion without sound wastewater disposal. Deaths from
water scarcity number 12 million each year. Of this total,
3 million are children who tragically die from waterborne
diseases every year.
SDGs and Water
In 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sus-
tainable Development and the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). There are 17 SDGs that cover an ambitious
global agenda: from ending poverty to regaining peace and
stability, while leaving no-one behind.
SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) – the ‘water goal’
– is to ensure availability and sustainable management of
water and sanitation for all. SDG 6 does not only aim for
sustainable water management across the globe, it also
underpins many other SDGs; meeting SDG 6 would go a
long way towards achieving much of the 2030 Agenda.
Another related goal is SDG 15 (Land and Life) - Sustain-
able use of terrestrial ecosystems.
28

37. Recommenda ons
1. The arid and semi-arid areas are more prone for
Water crisis as compared to other environments.
2. Classical ways of coping with drought are today
infeasible due to high population.
3. Participatory water resources audit in the preview of
village environment need to be done to understand
the recharge rate for better understanding the sus-
tainable management and use of water resources,
which is not well known at the community level. In
this process they should be encouraged to understand
how much water is available? What is happening to
it? What can happen – possibility? How to conserve,
manage?
4. There should be an institutional setup for evaluating
the available water resources at a regular interval and
monitor.
5. For the community to understand the importance
of water resources, local stakeholders should be
engaged in dialogue about water management chal-
lenges using a meaningful participation process.
29

38. 6. It is better to plan for water resources management
when over exploitation has not yet started.
7. Raise awareness about water sustainability and the
importance of effective stewardship
8. The immediate water needs should not be satisfied
at the cost of unsustainable practices.
9. Community should be able to protect its water first
for drinking needs.
10. The low water consumption technology and practices
should be encouraged in order to reduce overall use
of water. Such as the drum and tape / drip irrigation,
method of irrigation helps conserve the water, this is
one of the low cost technologies available.
11. Preference should be given to tree crops and fodder
trees for water conservation and sustainability.
12. Plasticulture and other available polymer technolo-
gies can be used for efficient utilization of available
meager water resources.
13. Recharging groundwater is one of the main objectives
in the watershed programme, so ‘Harvest water
where it falls’ by all means.
14. The basic principle in a watershed programme is to
make ‘Running water to walk, walking water to stand
and enable it to percolate’.
15. The groundwater resources are ever depleting be-
cause of unabated exploitation is a typical common
pool problem where cooperation is needed between
various stakeholders instead of competition.
30

39. 16. For increasing the groundwater potential percolation
tanks / pits should be created wherever feasible,
which leads to sustainable use of existing wells.
17. Keeping into account of the uncontrolled digging
of wells and borewells, people should be able to
utilize the rainwater through various means of water
harvesting, rather then the static groundwater which
makes the groundwater unsustainable.
18. The tanks capacity will be enhanced through silt re-
moval, which can be applied for soil fertility improve-
ment – to improve dry land productivity. Desilting
also helps in increasing the storage and recharging of
the surface water and percolation tanks respectively.
19. The feeder / supply / diversion channels should be
kept clear of vegetation, desilted and maintained
properly for optimum conservation and utilization
of water resources.
20. In the tropical areas the rates of evaporation is high,
therefore deeper tanks are preferable as compared to
shallower Tanks.
21. Control of all the surface water sources should be in
the hands of community rather Government taking
control of the situation.
22. Development of fisheries is another option, which
not only gives another livelihood option but ensures
proper management of the water resources.
23. Overall the sustainable irrigation practices should be
always encouraged for improved biomass generation
31

40. and other allied sectors.
24. Mixed farming is preferable to simple farming i.e.,
agriculture, fodder trees, fodder, livestock etc. in the
same field.
25. For better source of income future is in those crops
where value addition is more. To cope with market
fluctuations other methods of storage and preserva-
tion should be adopted for the agricultural produce
like, solar energy can be used for drying. Processing
and packaging is another choice for better price.
26. In any watershed by focusing mainly on the ridge
area the vulnerable poor peoples livelihoods will be
protected and improved. This process also helps
the farmers located further downstream. There is
always debate on the water rights of the people on
the upstream and down stream; usually the ridge
portion area is either Common Pool Resource or
the fields are possessed by very poor people, which
are in general less productive and sometimes highly
degraded lands. The watershed works such as, mini-
percolation tanks and sunken pits covering first and
second order streams, earth bunding works and other
appropriate structures, improves soil moisture re-
taining capacity and groundwater in the area and also
contains soil erosion and also improves groundwater
recharging in the area. Always it is easier and less
costly to harvest the water in the ridge portion. There
fore one should remember that water flows by the
32

41. principle of gravity and geology rather than equity. It
is the discretion of the people involved in the process
to decide on equity.
27. In rural scenario water plays an important role in
the alleviation of poverty. Erratic and scanty rainfall
leading to drought makes them highly vulnerable.
Participatory watershed protection and development
is one of the means for addressing the poor. Water
resources generate livelihood options and opportu-
nities.
28. The improvement of irrigation facilities (surface
and ground water sources) in any village greatly
improves the livelihoods of the landed (directly) and
landless (indirectly through additional labour work
generated).
29. Water resources are no more intangible, through
budgeting and auditing one can sustainably use this
fundamental Common Pool Resource.
30. In a typical village emphasis should be given to
development of the common pool resources, like
water, forests, grazing lands, etc, where we can
address the equity of the poor and landless.
33

42. About the Author
Dr. Sai Bhaskar Reddy Nakka is a multifaceted person
with contributions in the areas of Environment, Climate
Resilience, Disasters, Energy, Water, Agriculture and Sus-
tainable Development. Working on the aspects which
impacts millions of lives. Travelled extensively in parts
of Eighteen states in India and Twelve other countries.
His contributions in parts of India and Afghanistan are
commendable. He has authored Eighteen Books which
are widely read and used for solutions. He has declared
his more than Hundred innovations and designs as ‘Open
Knowledge’ for common good.
You can connect with me on:
http://saibhaskar.com
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