Natural resource conservation and Poverty reduction in Watershed management

Watershed management mainly concern with the conserving the natural resources in selected watershed. Rather the natural resource conservation is taken as core objective of watershed projects. Efforts are made to conserve the natural resources and further enhance its efficiency through holistic approach.

However, many a times during the planning and execution of Watershed management projects more emphasis are laid on poverty reduction through various livelihood enhancement approaches

Of course, to conserve and enhance the efficiency of existing natural resources in a watershed, it is important to look in to the livelihood enhancement aspect but certainly watershed management project should not be targeted as poverty reduction project. Otherwise the core objectives of the watershed will get a diversion from mainstream.

It is also a truth that poverty reduction and livelihood enhancement of the population residing in a particular watershed are an important part of watershed management. Perhaps this is the reason for taking up livelihood enhancement as one of the important component in watershed management. This has given rise to concept of watershed plus approach in watershed management

Over all, a balance between the conserving the natural resources in selected watershed and poverty reduction through livelihood enhancement has to be taken so that the core objective of natural resource conservation in watershed management is not diverted.

The watershed planner has to ensure a proper balance in watershed management though proper selection of   various interventions from watershed components under watershed management