ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

Table 7B 7. Summary of benefits from the sample watershed studies.
Indicator Particulars Unit
No. of
studies Mean Mode Median Min Max
t-
value
Efficiency B/C ratio Ratio 128 2.14 1.70 1.81 0.82 7.06 21.25
IRR Percent 40 22.04 19.00 16.90 1.68 94.00 6.54
Equity Employment Person 39 181.50 75.00 127.00 11.00 900.00 6.74
ha -1 , yr -1
days
Sustainability Irrigated Percent 97 33.56 52.00 26.00 1.37 156.03 11.77
area
Cropping Percent 115 63.51 80.00 41.00 10.00 200.00 12.65
intensity
Rate of runoff Percent 36 –13.00 –33.00 –11.00 –1.30 –50.00 6.78
Soil loss t ha -1 , yr -1 51 –0.82 –0.91 –0.88 –0.11 –0.99 39.29
Source: Derived from various studies in India
Watersheds (%)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
60.16
22.66
2.34
7.81
3.13 3.91
< 1 1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 > 5
Benefit-cost ratio
Figure 7B1.Distribution (%) of watersheds according to benefit-cost ratio (BCR).
The important conditions for people’s participation were related to (i) demand-driven watershed programs rather
than supply-driven ones, (ii) involvement of all stakeholders (including women and landless labor) in program
implementation and monitoring, (iii) decentralization of the decision making process, (iv) involvement of elected
representatives and Panchayat Raj institutions, (v) commensurate benefits of all stakeholders with their cost and (vi)
establishing effective linkages between watershed institutions and other institutions such as the credit sector, input
delivery system and technology transfer mechanism.
Watershed programs are one of the most important ways of bringing about socioeconomic change in the rainfed
system. In some regions, it has revolutionized agriculture and the allied sector through various technological
interventions, particularly soil & water conservation and crop diversification. The watershed program offers
location-specific technologies and has overwhelming policy and political support. However, a major obstacle in the
attainment of its potential benefits is the lack of appropriate institutional arrangements for technical backstopping
and capacity building for stakeholders. Efforts to encourage stakeholders to voluntarily participate would sustain
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