42725 Series 1, Note No. 3 I n d i a : K a r n ata k a Wat e r s h e d De v e l o p m e n t " S u j a l a" P r o j e c t Innovation in participatory watershed development to improve natural resource productivity and rural livelihoods Grant Milne The Karnataka Watershed Development Project (KWDP), known locally as "Sujala", was initiated in the year 2001 and is being implemented in seven districts of Karnataka. The project is scheduled to end on March 31, 2009. The project covers 516,000 hectares of land spread over 77 sub-watersheds, 1270 villages benefiting nearly 400,000 households. The project objective is to improve the productive potential of selected watersheds and their associated natural resource base It is also to strengthen community and institutional arrangements, promote participatory involvement of primary stakeholders/beneficiaries and offer assistance to women, landless and other vulnerable groups by supporting investments in income generation activities to accelerate their entry and expand their participation. Background Karnataka is Figure 2. Karnataka districts. predominantly an Karnataka, a state in the south-west of India, has a agricultural state total land area of 191,791 km2 and a population with more than of approximately 53 million, giving a population 70 percent of the density of 276 people per km2. The state is enclosed major agriculture by mountain ranges along the much of the western, area under rainfed eastern and southern regions with peaks reaching 1,500 conditions. meters above sea level. Annual average precipitation Recurrent droughts, ranges between 500 and 3500 mm. Rainfall is lowest soil erosion, erratic in the eastern regions of the state and increases in the rainfall, and western areas, reaching its maximum over the coastal depleting ground zone. Karnataka is one of the more developed states water have impacted in India; it's Human Development Index (HDI) of the potential 0.650 in 2001 ranks 7th in the country and improved productivity by 20 percent over the 1991 figure of 0.541. Despite significantly. Rainfed areas are often prone to these this positive performance, a number of development multiple risks; therefore efficient and sustainable use challenges remain. For example, adult literacy is 66 percent, and poverty is a major problem in rural areas, and especially in drier northern and southern districts Karnataka has 13 million hectares of potential along the eastern border. watershed treatment area. 2 Livelihoods Learning Series 1, Note No. 3 of natural resources has become a basic need for rural economic development. In this context, watershed A key emphasis of the project is strengthening the based programs must improve the productivity of natural capacity of communities in the project districts resources while also addressing broader socio-economic for participatory involvement in planning, development priorities. implementation, social and environmental Watershed development programs have been management and maintenance of assets operating in India for the past several decades to emanating from local development programs. It improve the production potential of dry and semi- is crucial to have the implementing department arid regions of the country. Program design has operate in more socially inclusive manner, evolved over time from a purely technical, top-down solution with little involvement of communities within the framework of a convergent watershed and farmers, to a more recent model that promotes development plan which will be achieved by greater local participation and encompasses implementation through community groups. traditional soil and water conservation as well as rural livelihood development. community institutions. Self-help groups were weak Problem Analysis and unable to build financial capital to channel into livelihood opportunities. Prior to the project, the target districts were characterized as drought-prone and dominated by Project Structure and Institutions rain-fed agriculture around a narrow range of 2-5 crops The project is addressing the key development with average yields of between 525 and 988 kg/ha. Soil objectives through four components: 1) social erosion was high and leading to declining productivity. mobilization and institution building to help plan The total population in the project sites was around 1 and implement participatory watershed treatments; million people and characterized by high rates of out- 2) farming system intensification and participatory migration, especially for younger men seeking work research; 3) income generation activities to benefit in urban centers such as Bangalore. Average annual socially vulnerable and landless groups; and 4) capacity household income was approximately US$222. building, and monitoring and evaluation. The project Groundwater availability from existing tube-wells was is being implemented in a phased manner; Phase- only 3-4 months following monsoon rains. Common 1 consists of 10 sub-watersheds; Phase-2 covers 20 lands were deteriorating through poor management. sub-watersheds; and Phase-3 covers the final 47 sub- Watershed development was still largely delivered in watersheds. The project is now working mainly on the state through a non-participatory model, resulting Phase 3 sub-watershed. in little social mobilization and development of Typical pre-project land degradation Civil works - increasing soil productivity Livelihoods Learning Series 1, Note No. 3 3 Project Highlights The project uses a complex institutional structure to develop critical partnerships between government technical specialists, non-government organizations (NGOs), communities, local authorities, and research organizations. Some highlights are: Involving NGOs at sub-watershed, district and state levels to facilitate the awareness building, capacity building, participative project planning, implementation and monitoring. Formation of community based organizations like Self-Help Groups, comprising of mostly women and landless members; Area Groups (mainly landowning farmers) and an Executive Committee (at community level). Area Groups are the basic units of planning in case of land based activities and these plans are further consolidated at the Micro watershed levels. Similarly, Self-Help Groups are the basic units of planning for income generation activities and these sub-plans are consolidated at micro- watershed level. Sujala Watershed Sangha (SWS) and 14 member executive committee with registration under the Registrar of Societies Act 1960, to combine micro-watershed community representatives at a sub- watershed level (10 micro-watershed per sub-watershed). Establishment of district level technical teams comprising of government specialists from various agencies (Watershed, Agriculture, Minor Irrigation, etc) to promote more holistic micro-watershed planning with NGOs and communities. Capacity building of partners and stakeholders on technical, social and environmental issues of watershed development at all levels through several local universities. Involvement of the Panchayat members in the Executive Committee for SWS. Antrix Corporation (part of Indian Space Research Organization) providing advanced satellite imagery and Geographic Information System services for micro-watershed planning and also leading third-party monitoring and evaluation. Results and Impacts Additional Impacts: Soil and water conservation works have been New participatory micro-watershed planning completed on over 314,000 ha, improving average approaches have resulted in highly integrated crop yields to between 525 and 1,136 kg/ha, and micro-watershed plans being prepared by broadening crop diversity to 4-9 crops, especially cash communities, who have greater ownership and crops. Groundwater availability following monsoon commitment. rains has improved to 4-6 months. Average annual Groundwater yields have increased by nearly household income in project areas has increased from 1,000 liters per hour, giving farmers greater choice US$222 to US$373. The project has already achieved of crops and in many cases, double cropping on its target of establishing 4,300 farmer groups and arable lands. There are also measurable increases in 6,600 new self-help groups to sustain participatory biomass production on common lands. watershed management across 7,000 communities in 742 micro-watersheds. For communities where implementation has been completed, crop yields have increased by 24 percent over the baseline, cropping patterns have 4 Livelihoods Learning Series 1, Note No. 3 Community participation and planning at work A new entrepreneur - small shop and call box shifted to higher valued crops, and milk yields are linked to commercial financial institution. have been enhanced by 15 to 20 percent. Money-lenders are no longer a major force in these communities. Self-Help Groups have flourished with project support; taking into account member The increase in average income has contributed savings, project revolving funds, and leveraged to a reduction in migration by about 70 percent. commercial loans, the total potential capital base Fewer young men feel they no longer have to leave in these community groups is almost US$13 the community to find work. million that is being used to help establish small As a measure of success, the project recently businesses, particularly among women and achieved national recognition through two landless. The majority of members are women. prestigious awards. The first was the National More than 60 percent of the Self-Help Groups Productivity Award given to the case study of Livelihoods Learning Series 1, Note No. 3 5 farmers increase output from crops, horticulture and livestock. The project has made inroads to strengthen linkages with local authorities to complement ongoing government policy reform around decentralization. The project has initiated convergence activities with the state government Total Sanitation Campaign to construct new toilets in all target communities. The project has also linked with the state government Yashaswini Scheme to provide low-cost health insurance to 4,000 beneficiaries. Steps are underway to develop technical links with watershed projects in Mexico and Turkey to improve knowledge and Gopal mitras at work with veterinary services experience sharing. Katnur Micro-watershed of Dharwad ­ with a Innovations in the Project cash value to the community of US$2,600. The second was the National Water Award (Bhumijal The project has played a key role in helping the Samvardhan Puraskar), given to Uthanur government of Karnataka test new participatory Panchayat in Mulbagal taluk in Kolar District. approaches for integrated watershed planning and implementation. More meaningful engagement with The partnership between government, non- communities is based on extensive capacity building, government organizations and communities is social mobilization and group formation, and the use opening up new opportunities for rural people to of thematic maps for participatory watershed planning. enhance the productivity of the natural resource The new model also draws in non-government base that underpins their livelihoods. Leading state organizations as active partners. research organizations are also key partners to help 6 Livelihoods Learning Series 1, Note No. 3 Based on M&E results for livelihood development, longer-term maintenance, particularly for works it was evident that around 70 percent of the women involving masonry, concrete and earth fill. The cards and landless participating in the Income Generating are signed off by government technical staff to ensure Activity component preferred to enhance their quality standards are sustained. incomes through livestock and poultry production. The project partners agreed to introduce village-based An independent team from Antrix Corporation, private veterinary service providers, called "Gopal part of the Indian Space Research Organization Mitras" to promote effective and low-cost service to in Bangalore provides ongoing technical, and people. Field visits and M&E data have confirmed monitoring and evaluation services to the project. the important role that Gopal Mitras are now playing Antrix has developed cutting edge remote sensing, in many communities. All Gopal Mitras have mobile geographic information systems, and digital terrain phones to make it easier for people in more distant modeling to complement more traditional field villages to call via a community call box. Earnings surveys. These tools allow better information to by the Gopal Mitras appear to be between US$75 be used by communities and government/NGO and US$375 per month with an average of around partners in the participatory micro-watershed US$125. planning, project implementation and evaluation. In fact, the system works so well, that mid-way in the An innovative approach quality control system for project measurable progress against the development civil works such as field bunds and check dams has objectives could already be demonstrated. Antrix been implemented with excellent results. The Quality also carries out short-term studies in response to Management System is centered around an OK card management questions based on regular M&E system where farmers maintain a file card for each reporting. Examples include: structure being built on their land. The cards outline key aspects of design and construction, as well as Assessment of common property resources developed under the project Livelihoods Learning Series 1, Note No. 3 7 Investment patterns and equity in Phase II Minister of Agriculture, and Deputy Chairman Sustainable of common property investments of the National Planning Commission were in through the project Bangalore to review the impacts of centrally funded land-based rural development and natural resource Assessment of land use and land cover programs. Based on the success of the Sujala project, transformation the Government of Karnataka will be replicating the Case studies of project impacts and achievement model in six additional districts financed with US$47 of development objectives million from the Prime Minister's Rehabilitation Executive committee assessment and grading Package for Distressed Districts. The Watershed Development Department has also proposed Inputs to performance based contracts for NGOs that the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural GIS analysis of common lands across slopes Development (NABARD) help finance treatment of Review of training programs an additional 150,000 hectares of state land using the Sujala model in districts where the KWDP does Evaluation of ground and surface water quality in not presently operate. The project has also resulted selected sites in a new state policy for co-management of common lands in watersheds that will have long-term impacts Future Directions for improved natural resource conservation and rural The KWDP goes beyond having potential for livelihoods. replication ­ it is already being replicated. The The central government Ministry of Agriculture and Government of Karnataka Agriculture Minister new National Rainfed Area Authority are adopting announced in the Legislative Assembly in 2007 features of the project's innovative monitoring and that it will be expanding the Sujala project (KWDP evaluation system for all government watershed model) to five other arid, rain-fed districts in the programs throughout India. Lessons learned from state. In July, 2007 the Prime Minister of India, 8 Livelihoods Learning Series 1, Note No. 3 the project have been adopted into new draft national watershed guidelines by the government of India. The approach of blending locally sourced high technology with traditional field monitoring is recognized throughout India as a best practice model. These moves are bringing Sujala and the World Bank attention at the national level and helping promote the replication of an integrated approach to watershed development to other states. Total Project Funds: US$127.6 million World Bank IDA Credit US$100.5 million Beneficiary contributions US$12.8 million Government financing US$14.3 million Series 1. Note No. 3. December 2007. Grant Milne is the Senior Natural Resource Management Specialist, South Asia Sustainable Development of the World Bank. This document was edited by Shweta S. Banerjee (World Bank). "Livelihoods Learning" Note Series is published by the Rural Livelihoods Cluster in the South Asia Sustainable Development Department of the World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington DC 20433, USA. For additional copies contact livelihoods@listserve.worldbank.org The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this note are entirely those of the author(s) and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent.