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· Deterioration in village water supplies:
There is a high risk that project
interventions will reduce runoff into tanks
or other structures that are important
sources of recharge of the aquifers that
meet urban water requirements. Project
interventions can also lead indirectly to
increased pumping of groundwater
for irrigation in urban and peri-urban
areas, thereby, increasing the risk of
failure of village water supplies during
the summer months. Finally, project
interventions can lead to increased
consumption of water: per household, by
livestock, by horticulture within the village
and by non-land-based activities.
Waiting for water at a water point in
Yapadinne, Dhone
· Conflicts within villages and between
villages: Some interventions, that involve
changing land use or patterns of water
availability and use, result in distinct
winners and losers. If there is a risk of this
happening, conflicts should be managed by
ensuring that losers are compensated in
some way. As above, decisions on whether
an intervention should take place should
be based on economic and social value.
· Reduction in net productivity: There is a
risk that promotion of interventions with
a high social value will lead to reductions
in net productivity at the village or
watershed scale. For example, use of water
for irrigation on marginal lands (usually
owned by poorer farmers) will tend to be
less productive than use of the same water
on better quality land (usually owned by
relatively richer farmers). Ultimately,
determining the balance between
acceptable social and economic value is
a political decision.
Kocheruvu open well, Dhone
. Increase in environmental degradation:
It is generally assumed that an increase
in forestry equates to environmental
improvement in watersheds and that this
is sufficient in terms of meeting
environmental sustainability targets. In
many cases, increased forestry will lead to
significant improvements in biodiversity,
particularly if indigenous tree species are
planted. There are risks, however, that
changing patterns of land and water use
and, hence, the hydrology of watersheds
will lead to reduction in biodiversity in
areas other than forested areas (e.g. in
wetland areas, in ephemeral streams,
in and around tanks). There is also a risk
that project interventions will adversely
affect water quality (e.g. pollution resulting
from: increased use of agro chemicals).
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