Neeranchal National Watershed Project

closed

The development objective of the Neeranchal National Watershed Project for India is to support integrated watershed management program (IWMP) through technical assistance to improve incremental conservation outcomes and agricultural yields for communities in selected sites, and adoption of more effective processes and technologies into the broader IWMP in participating states. The project comprises of four components. The first component, central institutional and capacity building will strengthen institutions and human resources of key national stakeholders, particularly the department of land resources (DoLR), for more effective planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation (M and E), and reporting of watershed management programs. It includes following four sub-components: (i) capacity building and institutional development at national level; (ii) national information and data center; (iii) communications; and (iv) M and E. The second component, national innovation will support the application of innovative, science-based knowledge, tools, and approaches to underpin improvements to IWMP around watershed planning and implementation, agricultural intensification, climate change, rural livelihoods, and hydrology, based on identified needs of the states, communities, and farmers. It includes following two sub-components: (i) agricultural performance, rural livelihoods, and climate change innovations; and (ii) decision support systems and data bases for hydrology and watershed management. The third component, IWMP implementation support in participating states will provide intensive, science-based technical assistance to improve IWMP operational effectiveness, convergence and integration with other government programs, and measurable impacts on the ground in selected sites in participating states. It consists of following six sub-components: (i) support for improved program integration in rain-fed areas; (ii) institutional strengthening; (iii) adoption of research and development (R and D) and technology transfer; (iv) state level management and coordination; (v) state level management and coordination; and (vi) urban watershed management. The fourth component, project management and coordination aim to ensure effective and responsive project management to successfully implement the Neeranchal project.