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Watershed development has emerged as one of the most significant rural development interventions in India. It links natural resource management with sustainable livelihood security in rainfed and drought-prone areas. The approach integrates land, water, vegetation, and human resources in a holistic manner to ensure ecological balance as well as economic development. The history of watershed development in India is deeply connected to the evolution of rural development programmes, the challenges of food security, water scarcity, soil degradation, and the need for sustainable agricultural productivity. Understanding its historical trajectory, conceptual framework, and operational dimensions provides a comprehensive view of its role in rural development. The history of watershed development in India can be traced back to the post-independence period when the country faced acute food shortages, soil erosion, and droughts. Initially, rural development policies emphasized major irrigation projects, land reforms, and community development programmes. However, by the 1970s and 1980s, the limitations of large-scale irrigation projects became evident, especially in rainfed regions which cover nearly two-thirds of India’s agricultural land. Rainfed areas were characterized by erratic rainfall, low productivity, poverty, and high vulnerability to droughts. To address these challenges, integrated watershed management began to gain importance. The early experiments in watershed development were largely supported by international agencies such as the World Bank, USAID, and the European Union, along with national-level initiatives by the Government of India. In the 1970s, the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and the Desert Development Programme (DDP) were initiated to address ecological degradation and rural poverty in vulnerable regions. These programmes recognized the importance of soil and water conservation and encouraged afforestation, water harvesting, and land treatment measures. However, their initial implementation was largely top-down, focusing more on engineering structures than on community participation. The concept of watershed development evolved further in the 1980s with the recognition that technological solutions alone were insufficient unless local communities were actively involved. In 1982, the Government of India launched the National __________ _______ _____ ___ __________ _________ _____.
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