Indigenous Practices for Soil and Water Conservation - Agropedia

Participatory L e a r n i n g Methods
The essence of PIDOW is community participation, facilitated by participatory
learning methods (PALM), indicating joint learning and a shared understandi
n g o f t h e local s i t u a t i o n . T h i s i s i n contrast t o t h e often biased a n d one-sided
assessments by outsiders, where the information is rarely shared with the
villagers. PALM is based on four major principles:
1. The relationship between the outsider and the villager is as between equals,
both being professionals of a different nature.
2. The emphasis is on participation of people in their own development.
3. The outside agency must have a constant presence in the rural area, so as to
fulfill its obligations to the community.
4. PALM does not stop with appraisal but goes beyond, into shared analysis
and understanding of r u r a l situations.
The PALM exercise has provided many valuable insights for watershed
planning in particular, and overall development in general. Interaction on a
personal level w i t h villagers also provides a current and realistic picture of
land ownership, use, etc., as in most cases official records tend to be dated and
incomplete. This discovery of the actual situation adds a new dimension to
microplanning, forcing authorities to tackle irregularities and resolve them.
From participatory learning, then planning, the community is led toward
implementation. The final plan is an outcome of consensus between the community,
MYRADA, and DLDB. The plan, which has five major components
(treatment, budget, scheduling, implementation, and management) is implemented
by the sangham through committee action. The conflicts that are
bound to arise are dealt with by the committee or by the sangham itself, often
in consultation with MYRADA staff.
This approach to watershed development has greatly enhanced MYRADAs
understanding of rural situations. The next step is to move further in the
direction of development, formalizing the concept of appropriate, participatory
institutions in watershed development.
The Farmers' Experience in Gulbarga
The main features of the soil conservation practices implemented in the watershed
are:
• diversion drains,
• series of stone checks in nallas (gullies) for the creation of deposition fields,
• boulder bunds on field boundaries,
• earthern bunds with waste weirs on field boundaries, and
• pitching of stones into gullies.
It was possible for the entire work in the watershed area to be designed and
implemented by the local people through the sangham. The concerned farmers
paid 25% of the total cost. In addition, the farmers also contributed to the
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