Watershed Management in Arid Regions Strategic Planning

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M odu le 2 – ( L7 ) Su st a in a ble W a t e r sh e d Appr oa ch M odu le 2 – ( L7 ) Su st a in a ble W a t e r sh e d Appr oa ch & W a t e r sh e d M a n a ge m e n t Pr a ct ice s

7 Wat ershed Managem ent in Arid

_{Regions & St rat egic Planning}

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L7

L7 –

Watershed Management in Arid

L7

Watershed Management in Arid

Regions & Strategic Planning



Topics Cove r e d



Topics Cove r e d



Watershed Management Practices in Arid

and Semi

and Semi--arid Regions, strategies, Case

arid Regions, strategies, Case

study



Keywords:

Wat ershed m anagem ent

t i

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A id

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pract ices, St rat egies, Arid region, Sem i

pract ices, St rat egies, Arid region, Sem i-- arid

arid

region.

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Ar id & Se m i

Ar id & Se m i-- a r id Re gion s

a r id Re gion s

g

 Drylands cover m ore t han 60% of t he eart h’s surface.

 Arid zones - described as a part of t he drylands, &

have m ost severe clim at ic condit ions.

Maj or dist inguishing feat ure t he arid zone has low

 Maj or dist inguishing feat ure - t he arid zone has low

rainfall ( < 500m m or Aridit y I ndex < 0.20) w it h m ore t han 50% int er- annual variabilit y.

 This m akes - difference in t erm s of nat ure of

ecosyst em , socio- econom ic environm ent & challenges for sust ainabilit y. y

 High wind and solar regim es furt her increase t he

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Ar id & Se m i

Ar id & Se m i-- a r id Re gion s..

a r id Re gion s..

g

 Whole com plexit ies m akes a fragile ecosyst em in

which sm all dist urbances m ay cause great loss t o t he which sm all dist urbances m ay cause great loss t o t he sust ainabilit y, which are som et im es irreversible.

 Hot arid zones of t he world are econom ically and

environm ent ally disadvant aged wit h unique environm ent ally disadvant aged, wit h unique problem s.

 Ecosyst em s of t hese zones are highly fragile wit h

large risks t hat cause.

 Severe im pedim ent s t o developm ent program s. Of t he

t ot al land area in t he world arid zones cover 18 8% t ot al land area in t he world, arid zones cover 18.8% .

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Arid & Sem i

Arid & Sem i-- arid Regions…

arid Regions…

Lit t l b t i bilit i i f ll & f di t i t i  Lit t le but variabilit y in rainfall & presence of dist inct ive

periods of drought are charact erist ics of arid t ropics.  Oft en, t erm s drought & aridit y are used incorrect ly.

 A drought is a depart ure from average or norm al condit ions - short age of wat er adversely im pact s on funct ioning of

ecosyst em s, & people,

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Arid & Sem i

Arid & Sem i-- arid Regions

arid Regions -- I ndia

I ndia

 Hot arid regions of I ndia- covering an area of 31.70

m ill. Ha, involving seven st at es: Raj ast han, Guj arat , Punj ab, Haryana, AP, Karnat aka,& Maharasht ra.

Punj ab, Haryana, AP, Karnat aka,& Maharasht ra.

 11.8% of t he count ry is under hot arid environm ent .  Arid regions of Raj ast han, Guj arat , Punj ab, & Haryana

h f f l

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I ssues in Arid & Sem i

I ssues in Arid & Sem i-- arid Regions

arid Regions

 I n Arid & sem i- arid regions: Desert ificat ion, land

degradat ion & drought affect m ore t han 2 billion people - sit uat ion m ight worsen due t o clim at e people - sit uat ion m ight worsen due t o clim at e change.

 2.6 billion people ( 44% ) are affect ed by desert ificat ion  Populat ion growt h - 18.5 % in dryland areas in 1990s  GDP in dryland areas is 50% lower t han in

non-dryland areas dryland areas

 Nat ural regenerat ion of veget at ion cover & soils in arid

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I ssues in Arid & Sem i

I ssues in Arid & Sem i-- arid Regions..

arid Regions..

 Main agricult ural land use t ypes in dryland areas:

cropland, irrigat ed land, and rangeland. cropland, irrigat ed land, and rangeland.

 Different land degradat ion problem s occur depending

on t he t ype of land use.

f h l f f d d d d

 55% of t he gross value of food is produced under

rainfed agricult ure.

 Cropland in dry rainfed areas is used prim arily by Cropland in dry rainfed areas is used prim arily by

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Challenges in Arid & Sem i

Challenges in Arid & Sem i-- arid Regions

arid Regions

 I nfert ile soil

 Lack of wat er for irrigat ion

 Expansion of cult ivat ed fields and dim inishing of

nat ural veget at ion cover

 I nsufficient am ount s of organic m at erial and nut rient s  I nsufficient am ount s of organic m at erial and nut rient s  Burning of organic m at erial ( harvest residue, brush

fires)

 Soil erosion ( wind and wat er)

 Free grazing, no clear land use right s  Deforest at ion

 Deforest at ion

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W a t e r sh e d M a n a ge m e n t

in Ar id Re gion s



 I nt egrat ed Wat ershed Managem ent ( I WM) provides I nt egrat ed Wat ershed Managem ent ( I WM) provides

--fram ework t o int egrat e nat ural resource m anagem ent fram ework t o int egrat e nat ural resource m anagem ent wit h com m unit y livelihoods in a sust ainable way.

wit h com m unit y livelihoods in a sust ainable way.



 Addresses issues of degradat ion of nat ural resources soil Addresses issues of degradat ion of nat ural resources soil 

 Addresses issues of degradat ion of nat ural resources, soil Addresses issues of degradat ion of nat ural resources, soil

erosion, landslides, floods, frequent drought s and erosion, landslides, floods, frequent drought s and

desert ificat ion, low agricult ural product ivit y, poor wat er desert ificat ion, low agricult ural product ivit y, poor wat er

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W a t e r sh e d M a n a ge m e n t in Ar id Re gion s

g

 Mapping of SLM pract ices

 On- sit e and off- sit e int eract ions –eg: Dust st orm s originat e On sit e and off sit e int eract ions eg: Dust st orm s originat e on t hreat en people & livelihoods close by but far aw ay.

 Highland- lowland int eract ions: People in arid areas are dependent on ecosyst em services provided by highland dependent on ecosyst em services provided by highland areas. Eg. highlands - give w at er t o surrounding lowlands.  Regional int eract ions and rural- urban linkages

Part icipat ion and com m unit y involvem ent :  Part icipat ion and com m unit y involvem ent :

 Planning for sust ainable land m anagem ent :

 Mult i- funct ional use: helps t o reduce risk t hrough

diversificat ion, t o prom ot e synergies t hat produce added econom ic, ecological or social value, & t o preserve &

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Su st a in a ble La n d M a n a ge m e n t in Ar id Re gion s

 SLM helps t o:

 I ncrease food securit y prim arily for sm allholder  I ncrease food securit y, prim arily for sm allholder

farm ers

 Provide local energy

 Provide local fresh & clean wat er  Mit igat e soil degradat ion

I ncrease soil m oist ure soil developm ent & funct ions

 I ncrease soil m oist ure - soil developm ent & funct ions  Enhance prim ary product ion and nut rient cycling

 Preserve biodiversit y at t he farm level t hrough agro Preserve biodiversit y at t he farm level t hrough agro

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SLM in Arid Regions



Preserve soil m oist ure ( for plant product ion)

I ncrease prim ary product ion



I ncrease prim ary product ion



Regulat e river, lake and groundw at er levels



Regulat e w at er discharge from highland t o



Regulat e w at er discharge from highland t o

low land areas, reducing Floods and increasing

low flow s

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Mult i- funct ional Land Use

 Product ion of food and cash crops is a priorit y.

 I rrigat ed land: Dryland areas w it h high pot ent ial for

d t & f t d t lt i t

groundw at er & surface w at er are used t o cult ivat e crops, fruit s & veget ables.

 Rangeland: Livest ock product ion is t he priorit y. Livest ock

t d i k hil t t i f i l d

m anagem ent reduces risks, w hile rot at ion of grazing land ensures t hat veget at ion cover is preserved.

 Dryland areas react wit h part icular sensit ivit y t o

dist urbances in t he w at er and biom ass cycles. Regulat ing and support ive funct ions are seriously affect ed by

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D r y La n d M a n a ge m e n t

 Dryland areas react wit h part icular sensit ivit y t o dist urbances in t he wat er and biom ass cycles.

 Regulat ing & support ive funct ions - seriously affect ed by  Regulat ing & support ive funct ions seriously affect ed by inappropriat e m anagem ent of soil and veget at ion cover.

 Biom ass cycle: Soil organic m at t er influence on m ult iple soil funct ions such as soil biodiversit y fert ilit y carbon st orage funct ions such as soil biodiversit y, fert ilit y, carbon st orage, regulat ion of surface w at er flow s & im proved w at er qualit y.  Wat er cycle: Reduct ion of soil cover ( plant s, lit t er & m ulch)

and of soil organic m at t er st art ing point in vicious and of soil organic m at t er - st art ing point in vicious

degradat ion spiral due t o drast ic dist urbance of w at er cycle.  SLM pract ices for bet t er soil cover- im prove biom ass &

w at er cycles key t o im prove soil fert ilit y& w at er availabilit y w at er cycles, key t o im prove soil fert ilit y& w at er availabilit y.  No- t illage wit h cont rolled t raffic, Furrow- enhanced runoff

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WM Plans

WM Plans -- Arid Regions

Arid Regions

 Developm ent of in- sit u rainw at er harvest ing t echniques -require less labor and m aint enance

 Developm ent of plant - based w at er absorbing/ ret aining  Developm ent of plant based w at er absorbing/ ret aining

m at erials

 I nit iat ives for widespread adopt ion of rainwat er conservat ion t echniques

t echniques

 I m provem ent in t radit ional w at er harvest ing syst em s

 Developm ent of sim ple w indbreak est ablishm ent t echniques.

 Exploring t he pot ent ial of arid zone agro forest ry as a t ool

for solving environm ent al problem s.

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W M Pr a ct ice s

W M Pr a ct ice s-- Ar id Re gion s

Ar id Re gion s

 Ru n - off Fa r m in g: syst em of grow ing crops on harvest ed & st ored w at er in t he farm - by eart hen dam or a bund across t he gent le slope of t he farm land - Shallow , gravelly and rocky t he gent le slope of t he farm land Shallow , gravelly and rocky uplands for grazing - harvest ing runoff wat er; Maj or

com ponent s: wat er collect ing area, cont our bands ( channels) , m oist ure st orage basins, im pounding m echanism ( bands, g , p g ( ,

spillways & sluice) & a zone of cult ivat or’s set t lem ent s.

 Silvi- pa st u r e : used in areas rainfall below 200 m m / yr & food product ion is very difficult ; On t he ot her hand t here are som e

p y ;

grass species, e.g. Cenchrus cilieria, Lasiurus sindicus et c., w ell adapt ed t o such clim at e and m ake nat ural rangelands. Tree species like p Prosopis cineraria p and Zizyphus num ularia yp

com e up in t hese rangelands & m ake a silvipast ural syst em . Anim als- cows, goat s & sheep are part of t his farm ing syst em .

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W M Pr a ct ice s in Ar id Re gion s

 Agr i- silvicu lt u r e : popular syst em in areas of rainfall 200-400 m m / yr. People prot ect nat urally germ inat ed seedlings of useful t rees like P. cineraria, Z. num ularia, Tecom ela undulat a, et c., com e up in crop fields. Mixed cropping of pearl m illet , m ot h bean, clust er bean and sesam e is carried out under t hese t rees. These t rees do not com pet e w it h t he

b li i f i i

crops but com plim ent ary in t erm s of im proving m icroenvironm ent .

 Agr i- H or t icu lt u r e : Based on experim ent s in research farm s & farm er’s fields, a new agri- hort icult ure syst em of j uj ube (Ziziphus m aurit iana) int er- cropped w it h arid

legum es e.g. clust erbean / m ot hbean / greengram developed

f i i i f ll f t h 250 A i

for areas receiving rainfall of m ore t han 250 m m .

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W M Pr a ct ice s in Ar id Re gion s

 La y fa r m in g: on one piece of land a rot at ion of

grasses for 4- 6 years, followed by food grain crops grasses for 4 6 years, followed by food grain crops like pearl m illet or legum es for 2- 3 years & t hen land is left fallow for 2- 3 years. Whole farm is divided int o part s in such a way t hat every year all t hree pract ices part s in such a way t hat every year all t hree pract ices, i.e. grass product ion, crop product ion and fallow, are available in one or anot her part .

i d b k / h l b l d h h

 W in d br e a k s/ sh e lt e r be lt s: Wind erosion, high

t herm al regim e & hot desiccat ing winds - serious

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W a t e r sh e d M a n a ge m e n t Te ch n iqu e s

in Ar id a n d Se m i

in Ar id a n d Se m i-- a r id Re gion s

a r id Re gion s

 En gin e e r in g or St r u ct u r a l Te ch n ologie s

 Side H ill D it ch e s or Sim ila r D ive r sion St r u ct u r e s—t ypically separat ing higher non arable land from cult ivat ed land below separat ing higher, non- arable land from cult ivat ed land below.  Con t ou r Bu n din g or Ridge s—Built along t he cont our as part of

t he crop field layout from eit her st ones or soil.

 Gr a sse d W a t e r w a ys Carry away run off t hat has been channeled  Gr a sse d W a t e r w a ys—Carry away runoff t hat has been channeled

by cont our st ruct ures t o a cent ral down slope drain.

 Te r r a ce s—Radical conversion of sloped land int o a series of graded st eps approxim at ing flat condit ions. p app o a g a o d o

 Sm a ll- Sca le Te r r a cin g—Discont inuous use of t erracing, usually sm all plat form s on which t o plant fruit t rees.

 M icr o- Ba sin s—Pit s or half- m oon st ruct ures built in a pat t ern p across t he slope t o t rap rainfall, usually in drier areas.

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W a t e r sh e d M a n a ge m e n t Te ch n iqu e s

t illing along cont our t o avoid runoff & erosion.

 Livin g Ba r r ie r s—Plant ed along t he cont our t o t rap or filt er runoff and ret ain soil, such as cont our hedgerows or grass st rips.

 Le gu m in ou s Cove r Cr ops—Fix nit rogen, raise organic m at t er & appropriat e crop rot at ion, including int er- cropping.

C t A li t i I t h i t t t t f t h  Com post Applica t ion - I m prove t he organic m at t er cont ent of t he

soil, it s t ilt h, and it s abilit y t o infilt rat e rainfall.

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W a t e r sh e d M a n a ge m e n t &

St r a t e gic Pla n n in g

 Overall goal is alleviat ion of povert y & upgrading of

living st andards by m eans of sust ainable developm ent living st andards by m eans of sust ainable developm ent of wat er & wat er resources and conservat ion of t he environm ent .

The overall goal incorporat es t he t hree following m ain

 The overall goal incorporat es t he t hree following m ain

m ission goals: 1. Manage, develop and prot ect wat er and relat ed resources t o m eet needs of current and ffut ure generat ions.

 2. Operat e, m aint ain and rehabilit at e facilit ies safely,

reliably efficient ly t o prot ect t he public invest m ent . reliably efficient ly t o prot ect t he public invest m ent .

 3. Enhance t he organizat ional effect iveness of t he

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St r a t e gic Pla n n in g - W M

 I dent ify priorit y wat ersheds

 Priorit y for wat ershed wit h crit ical condit ions  Priorit y for wat ershed wit h crit ical condit ions  Populat ion

 St orage reservoir, wat er int ake or diversion dam s  Make best of available resources

 Cont rol of soil erosion – Priorit y

l d

 Agricult ure product ivit y  Opt im izat ion t echniques  People part icipat ion

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Wat ershed Managem ent St rat egies

 Set obj ect ives – WM Plans  St rat egies t o im plem ent

 I m plem ent at ion by individuals, Governm ent , Group,

NGO et c.

 Prevent ive st rat egies: - preserving exist ing sust ainable  Prevent ive st rat egies: preserving exist ing sust ainable

land use pract ices: Est ablish & sust ain prevent ive

m easures including land use pract ices - result s in long t erm sust ainable resource developm ent and

t erm , sust ainable resource developm ent and product ivit y wit hout causing land degradat ion

 Rest orat ive st rat egies:- t o overcom e ident ified

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W t

h d St

t

i

Watershed Strategies

Problem Possible Alternative solutions Watershed Management objectives Problem Possible Alternative solutions Watershed Management objectives

Deficient Deep root to shallow rooted

More rainfall Recharge e) Pump from aquifer Recharge

Flooding a)Reservoir storage

b)Construct levees channelization

Minimize sediment delivery Minimize sedimentation

c)Re-vegetate Plant more vegetation

Energy Storage b)Hydropower Reduce sedimentation

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Watershed Strategies

a)Supply from wells and Protect groundwater

f i i

Polluted )Control pollutants Buffer strips

Polluted streams

a)Control pollutants Buffer strips,

vegetative cover etc.

Reduced a)Treat waste water Use forest wet lands

Reduced fishery production

a)Treat waste water Use forest, wet lands

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Typica l W M St r a t e gie s

 Ba se d on r a in fa ll, t e m pe r a t u r e , soil, t opogr a ph y,

cr oppin g a n d fa r m in g syst e m s a n d w a t e r r e sou r ce s

E l f I di W t Hi l R i

 Ex a m ple s for I n dia: West ern – Him alayan Region

 J&K, HP, U.P. Hills - St eep hilly land, m ount ains – Thrust : Wat er Conservat ion & use; Land use

planning crop diversificat ion et c planning, crop diversificat ion et c.  East ern Him alayan Region

 Sikkim , Darj eeling, Arunachal, Meghalaya, Assam – High rainfall high forest soil erosionHigh rainfall, high forest , soil erosion

Thrust : Soil and wat er conservat ion, im provem ent of farm ing syst em s

 Low er Ganget ic Plains – w est Bengalg g

– Frequent floods, poor w at er m anagem ent Thrust : I rrigat ion developm ent , crop product ivit y,

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Typica l W M St r a t e gie s…

 East ern Plat eau and Hills: Madhya Pradesh and Orissa – High rainfall, Soil erosion

Thrust : Wat er conservat ion irrigat ion developm ent soil Thrust : Wat er conservat ion, irrigat ion developm ent , soil

correct ion et c.

 Sout h Plat eau and Hills: Andhra Pradesh, Karnat aka and Tam ilnadu - Rainfed farm ing

Tam ilnadu Rainfed farm ing

Thrust : I rrigat ion developm ent , crop m anagem ent  Guj arat Plains and Hills

 Arid zone, less rainfall, less irrigat ion

Thrust : Wat er conservat ion, dry land farm s, wat er m anagem ent , w ast eland developm ent

 West ern Dry Region

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Ca se St u dy:

D e se r t Ra in w a t e r

H a r ve st in g I n it ia t ive

 N e e d for t h e D e se r t Ra in w a t e r H a r ve st in g

I n it ia t ive : aim ed at alleviat ing povert y & providing

I n it ia t ive : aim ed at alleviat ing povert y & providing reliable wat er supply t o som e of rem ot e populat ions in rural Raj ast han - grips of severe drought for t he last few years

few years.

 Proj ect ut ilize t radit ional Rainwat er Harvest ing

t echniques -sust ainable m odel drought affect ed areas.

 Raj ast han - desert st at e in I ndia wit h 10% of area, but

wit h 1% of wat er resources. Scarce and fragile wat er resources in t his sem i- arid environm ent are under resources in t his sem i arid environm ent are under t hreat from frequent drought s, increasing

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Case st udy:

y

D e se r t Ra in w a t e r H a r ve st in g I n it ia t iveg

 Grass root s proj ect aim ed at alleviat ing povert y and providing a reliable w at er supply

O t f I it i t i f t i f l b l t hi &  Out com e of I nit iat ive- form at ion of global part nerships &

est ablishm ent of a cent re t o prom ot e Rainw at er Harvest ing for desert and sem i- arid regions.

R i t H t i S l t i

 Ra in w a t e r H a r ve st in g Solu t ion

 Creat ed in response t o increasing wat er crisis facing I ndia's rem ot e rural com m unit ies in Raj ast han & from request s

ffrom villages.

 I nit iat ive aim s - year round supply of fresh wat er for rural com m unit ies in drought affect ed areas - Lead Part ner has a long st anding presence and ongoing w orking relat ionship wit h local villages.

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Case st udy:

D e se r t Ra in w a t e r H a r ve st in g I n it ia t ive

 NGO - I nt ernat ional Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram

Fellowship - launched t his init iat ive. I t ut ilizes Fellowship launched t his init iat ive. I t ut ilizes t radit ional Rainwat er Harvest ing t echniques in conj unct ion wit h com m unit y based wat ershed

m anagem ent plans t o provide a sust ainable m odel t o m anagem ent plans t o provide a sust ainable m odel t o be used in drought affect ed areas

 Village Wat er Act ion Planning - Com m unit y

Based Wat er Managem ent

 _{Huge success – could change the face of many villages}

Many villages became self sufficient in water & food

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Re fe r e n ce s

 Successful Governance I nit iat ives & Best Pract ices,

Experiences from I ndian St at es, Planning Com m ission, Gov. I ndia



 Benefit s of Sust ainable Land Managem ent , UNCCD.Benefit s of Sust ainable Land Managem ent , UNCCD.



 ht t p: / / w ww .yogaindailylife.org/ init iat ives/ rainwat erht t p: / / w ww .yogaindailylife.org/ init iat ives/ rainwat er-- harvest ingharvest ing

 Arid Zone Agroforest ry: Dim ensions and Direct ions for  Arid Zone Agroforest ry: Dim ensions and Direct ions for

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Tu t or ia ls - Qu e st ion !.?.



I llu st r a t e t h e t ypica l W a t e r sh e d

M a n a ge m e n t St r a t e gie s in diffe r e n t Agr o

clim a t ic r e gion s of I n dia .



 I dent ify t he agro clim at ic region.I dent ify t he agro clim at ic region.

I d t if t t I d t if t t



 I dent ify st at esI dent ify st at es 

 Discuss t he t hrust areasDiscuss t he t hrust areas 

 Discuss possible wat ershed m anagem ent plans.Discuss possible wat ershed m anagem ent plans. 

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Se lf Eva lu a t ion - Qu e st ion s!.

Q



What are t he land & w at er relat ed problem s

in arid regions?

in arid regions?.



What are t he m aj or challenges relat ed t o

w at ershed m anagem ent in arid regions?

w at ershed m anagem ent in arid regions?.



Discuss dryland m anagem ent in arid regions.



I llust rat e wat ershed m anagem ent st rat egies



I llust rat e wat ershed m anagem ent st rat egies

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Assign m e n t - Qu e st ion s?.

g

Q



Different iat e bet w een drought & aridit y.



I llust rat e soil erosion processes



I llust rat e soil erosion processes.



What are t he im port ant issues in arid

regions?.

eg o s



What are different t ypes of w at er erosion?.

Discuss each t ype?.



What is t he scope of I nt egrat ed Wat ershed

Managem ent in Arid Regions?.

Discuss t he im port ance of st rat egic planning



Discuss t he im port ance of st rat egic planning

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Un solve d Pr oble m !.



For an arid region of average annual rainfall

of less t han 250m m , prepare Wat ershed



Find out different opt ions of sust ainable

land m anagem ent

land m anagem ent .

–

– I m proving Wat er availabilit yI m proving Wat er availabilit y –

– I m proving agricult ural product ionI m proving agricult ural product ion –

– Reduce soil/ w ind erosion & suggest scient ific m et hods Reduce soil/ w ind erosion & suggest scient ific m et hods for soil conservat ion

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Dr. T. I. Eldho Dr. T. I. Eldho

Professor, Professor,

Department of Civil Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, pp gg gg

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India, 400 076.