Integrated Approaches to Sustainable Watershed Management in Xeric Environments

A Training Manual

V Ratna Reddy, Geoff Syme, Chiranjeevi Tallapragada

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9780128152751
• eBook ISBN: 9780128152768
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Hydrology

Integrated Approaches to Sustainable Watershed Management in Xeric Environments: A Training Manual provides the reader with the tools they need to understand an integrated approach to watershed management. The book presents a conceptual framework of water management based on the authors' vast experience. Topics covered include a scientific background of watershed management and the integration of geohydraulic and socioeconomic factors. Key points are further enhanced with case studies, problem sets, Bayesian Networks and quizzes to educate watershed managers, industry professionals and agencies.Authored by a team of leaders in the field who are responsible for groundbreaking research in the area, this book draws on their experience synthesizing scientific, practical, on the ground expertise. This is an essential tool for researchers and professionals in environmental, water or natural resource management.- Presents an integrated approach—combining different sciences— that allows for the improved design of watersheds through the integration of biophysical, land use and socioeconomic analyses- Contains activities for self-evaluation- Includes case studies drawing from field experiences, giving the reader deeper insights into challenges faced, practical problems and solutions

Chapter I

Introduction

V. Ratna Reddy^⁎; Geoffrey J. Syme^†; Chiranjeevi Tallapragada^{⁎ ⁎} Livelihoods and Natural Resources Management Institute, Hyderabad, India
^† Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia

Abstract

This chapter sets the context and objectives of the training manual. It also discusses the approach and scope of the book. It suggests training at three levels, namely, village, district, and state/central, covering the actual implementers (village), implementing agencies and personnel (district), and the policy makers involved in providing implementation guidelines and resources (state/central). The manual is expected to enhance the knowledge and skill sets of people at three levels.

Keywords

Watershed development; Design; Planning; Implementation; Training; Manual

Context

Groundwater is among the most mismanaged resources in the developing world. One important reason for this is that it is hidden in aquifers of fractured rocks, not visible directly, and needs technical knowledge and instruments to measure and monitor. Understanding the resource in terms of its quantity and quality is very limited, especially at the user (community) level. As a result, there is always a mismatch between groundwater demand and availability, especially in the dry regions where overexploitation of groundwater for irrigation purposes results in declining groundwater tables (levels). Understanding the nature and characteristics of groundwater is critical for efficient and sustainable use of the resource in the long run. Widespread water harvesting interventions like watershed development, particularly in hard rock areas, may or may not improve the groundwater situation while trying to maximize the water harvested. Groundwater levels are surely related to the quantity of water harvested and used but more importantly on the design and placement of interventions in line with the aquifer and geographic profile of the watershed. Thus knowledge and information about aquifer geometry and its characteristics are critical for proper design and implementation of watersheds and for communities to adopt sustainable groundwater resource use practices.

While aquifer characteristics indicate the size and depth of groundwater holding capacity, biophysical attributes like rainfall, soil type, slope, and land use practices determine the recharge potential of the aquifers because the subsurface aquifer systems are linked to surface systems and attributes for their recharge and replenishment. For instance, though watershed interventions are expected to improve groundwater recharge through better soil and water conservation practices, the actual availability of groundwater for final use depends on the suitability of interventions to the aquifer system, biophysical attributes, land use, etc. In the context of watershed interventions, it is often presumed that groundwater recharge improves as one moves from upstream to downstream locations. However, such impacts are often not realized due to the poor linking of interventions across the stream. Scientific information on aquifers and drainage systems plays a very important role in realizing the scale impacts in large watersheds. Even in a mesoscale project, WSD development is distributed across time and space. Unless the design and implementation activities are carried out at the stream level and the delineation of watersheds is done in a scientific way the WSD activities could lead to no or very little impact or even adverse impacts in reality. Proper delineation and coordinated implementation of watersheds as per the surface and subsurface flows across the stream are very important to harness the benefits of mesoscale projects.

The multidisciplinary study, which forms the basis for this training manual, came up with a framework that tries to simplify the complex technical information into easy to understand and use tools and templates that come in handy for adopting a scientific approach to design and implement mesoscale watersheds. The study came up with an integrated approach to design and develop watershed projects at scales of 5000–10,000 ha in the form of concepts, tools, methods, and templates. The present manual acts as a practitioners’ guide to adopt the integrated approach developed by the study.

Aim and objectives

This manual is an attempt to significantly enhance the technical and scientific quotient of WS programs like the Integrated Watershed Management Program (IWMP) that is being implemented in India across the states. The objective is to help improve design and implementation of such programs for realizing greater and sustainable impacts and equitable distribution of benefits. This it tries to achieve by developing the knowledge and skills of the “watershed implementing teams” in using the integrated approach to design, implement, and maintain the watershed projects.

The following are some basic learnings that flow from this manual:

• • Define and identify the key features of a sustainable watersheds and the key issues to be considered in its design and implementation.
• • Use tools and templates to design, develop, and implement a watershed project incorporating the hydrogeologic, biophysical, and socioeconomic features of a selected watershed area.
• • Build a baseline database that would enable better measurement of watershed impacts.
• • Measure the potential impacts of watershed interventions in a given geohydrologic, biophysical, and socioeconomic context.
• • Appreciate the insights provided by simple but comprehensive models such as the Bayesian network model.
• • Value the role of stakeholder engagement for better and sustained impacts/outcomes from WSD projects.

Approach

The manual basically focuses on an approach that helps in identifying what questions to ask, data to be collected, and analysis to be carried out and applying the results to plan, design, implement, and monitor watershed interventions. A “case study” approach is used along with a few relevant tools, templates, and methods to make the learning interesting and effective. Case study approach helps the participants apply the method and tools to a given situation and reflect on the results. The group/individual activities included in the manual make the learning fun and participatory. Although this manual draws from the case studies from India, it is relevant for most countries in South Asia and Africa that are adopting watershed management approaches for agriculture development. Specifically, the dry regions of these countries can draw directly from the case studies quoted here.

For classroom-based training, the content and duration could be tailored to meet the needs of the participants involved. The duration of the program could range from 2 to 4 days based on the existing and required levels of knowledge and skills of the participants. A “train the trainer” approach would be helpful in scaling up the program. Effectiveness of the training in terms of its relevance to different groups of participants, usefulness of the methods and tools imparted, and scope for applying the same is to be assessed in the form of feedback.

Participants are evaluated on three important components of the content, namely, socioeconomic, hydrogeologic, and biophysical aspects, in order to assess their level of understanding in the form of quizzes on relevant concepts. This helps in deciding the coverage and depth of training. A variety of activities take the participants through the journey of testing and learning of their existing knowledge and skills about the subject and, in the process, upgrade their potential through new information, methods, tools, etc. Focus on learning from each other becomes primary when the manual is used for group training. At the same time, it also provides self-learning techniques for individual learners. However, the training needs experts in the field of socioeconomics, hydrog...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Preface
• Chapter I: Introduction
• Chapter II: Module I: Key features of sustainable watersheds
• Chapter III: Module II: Profile of the case study regions
• Chapter IV: Module III: Geohydrology context
• Chapter V: Module IV: Biophysical context of the case study sites
• Chapter VI: Module V: Measuring impacts—An integrated approach
• Chapter VII: Module VI: Data and models for integrated decision-making
• Chapter VIII: Module VII: Simplifying science for effective stakeholder engagement
• Chapter IX: Learning instruments
• References
• Glossary
• Index