Key Supporting Studies

Complementary StudiesTeam has secured $235,000 in trust funds from

Bank’s internal forestry anchor unit (PROFOR)Designed to finance complementary studies to

normal preparation workConcept discussed and agreed by DoLR team

prior to submissionCan be completed over next 18 months, but

needs to be done at a quicker pace to be really useful to the Neeranchal preparation/implementation process

Three Study Components1. Review of landscape level watershed

assessment and/or planning processes, develop draft guidelines

2. Institutional review of IWMP, convergence

3. Dissemination of watershed best practices in India

Larger Scale Assessment/PlanningWatershed planning in India typically at scale of

micro-watershed, often around 500 ha, sometimes clustered into a larger sub-watershed

Starting from this scale ideal for community planning but prevents stakeholders from seeing the bigger picture:

Basic hydrology, land and water uses, interactionsGuide micro-watershed selection, interventionsGuide major investments in water controlSupport broader sustainable land management

Need to explore larger scale approach in Neeranchal

Seeing The Bigger Picture

Critical to link micro-watershed plans with higher-level watershed analyses or plans

Sub-Basin

Sub-Watershed

Micro-Watershed at field level

Basin

Proposed Outputs/Benefits

Help stakeholders better understand options for landscape level watershed planning based on examples from within India and other experiences from outside India

Develop methodology for landscape level watershed assessment/planning with key stakeholders

Transform the methodology into practical guidelines that could be used in Neeranchal

Audience would be practitioners, policy makers

Proposed ApproachLed by small team of national consultants,

supported by international consultantsWork would be guided by Bank and DoLR,

relevant state watershed agenciesWorkshops at critical points, bringing in

speakers from other regions where best practices are found

Technical report, draft guidelines, review process, formulating final documents, dissemination

Institutional Study of IWMPIWMP has a number of implementation issues

and constraintsConvergence/integration adds complexitiesNeed to delve into how IMWP delivery and

convergence/integration can be improved, based on good practices in India and similar programs in other countries

Proposed Outputs/BenefitsMethodology that could be replicated

elsewhereBetter understanding of IWMP institutional

issues and constraintsValuable information to preparation and/or

implementation of NeeranchalInformation that could be useful in other

countries facing similar issues with national watershed programs

Proposed ApproachDesk study with national consultants, in

collaboration with international specialistsField work in selected states to study IWMP

in actionBuild on study carried out in Karnataka

during preparation of new project (main focus was on NREGA)

Workshops drawing in national and international experts

Report, dissemination

Best Practices in Watershed Management in IndiaNeed to improve knowledge sharing in

support of Neeranchal preparationPublish draft report from Bank on best

practices from three state level Bank-supported practices

Collate best practices in key areas from non-Bank projects in India

Knowledge fairs, workshops

Discussion Questions1. What scale would be realistic in your state for

landscape level watershed assessment and/or planning?

2. What issues/problems could a larger scale watershed assessment help you address?

3. For IWMP, which states would be best suited for field studies to examine performance and convergence, particularly with best practices, success stories?

4. What is the level of interest in knowledge sharing fairs, workshops, community of practices, etc?