Dryland watershed development and management: A case study in Karnataka

Approximately 70% of India's cultivated land is considered dryland. Much effort has been devoted to promoting water conservation for agricultural use. In 1984, a District Watershed Development Programme was begun in 19 watersheds in the state of Karnataka to put into practice findings from a previous pilot study funded by the World Bank. Results from the Mittemari Watershed are presented in this case study. The project is the result of collaboration and funding from the Government of Karnataka, University of Agriculture Sciences in Bangalore, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).