Agricultural Resources Information System (AgRIS): An e ...

h. Farm and Non-Farm Value Addition
activities;
5.1 Watershed 31 projects, launched during 1984 in India, have
contributed significantly to the evolution of rainfed technologies
and approaches to implementation. In the words of eminent
Indian economist, C.H.Hanumantha Rao, “Watershed development
has been conceived basically as a strategy for protecting the
livelihoods of the people inhabiting the fragile ecosystems
experiencing soil erosion and moisture stress”. The Nagpur
Declaration (2000) on “Natural Resources Planning and
Management for Sustainable Development ” suggested that both
“river basins management” at the macro level and “watershed
management” at the micro level should mutually complement each
other, for integrated water resources planning and management.
5.2 Integrated Watershed Development and Management have
been recognized as an effective strategy for sustainable
agricultural & rural development in the country. This strategy
31 A watershed is a piece of land that drains at a defined outlet. This natural unit evolves
through the interaction of rainwater and landmass and normally comprises arable and nonarable
land, non-agricultural land, and natural drainage systems. Watershed areas are
typically delineated on the basis of the distribution and flow of rainwater up to the defined
outlet.
31