Building farmers' organisations for integrated watershed management in India : a trainers' manual

This manual is an effort to fill the gap on the subject of farmers' institution building for watershed management in India. Strong farmers' organisations are the foundation of successful watershed development programmes, as well as associated income generating activities that also ensure women's empowerment and sustainable resource use. Gaps in participatory integrated watershed management training for the Himalayas and rainfed areas have been identified, bought about by most training and extension institutions in this region being modelled on top down management approaches rather than people or farmer led programmes. Many traditional approaches to the sustainable use of land, water and forest resources have been lost. This manual aims to provide structured training in participatory integrated watershed management that will assist the farmers in organising themselves. The manual is modular and organised in two sections: the first provides an overview of initial activities essential to the process and the seconds deals with the effective functioning of the groups themselves.