Need for Database Management in Integrated Watershed Programs


S P Wani


The term "watershed" refers to the divide separating one drainage basin from another. However, over the years, the use of the term watershed to signify a drainage basin or catchment area has come to stay. Hydrologically, watershed could be defined as an area from which the runoff drains through a particular point in the drainage system. The watersheds exist naturally and due to human intervention for agricultural purposes the changed ecology and management practices affect the well equilibrated ecologies. If watersheds are not managed properly then the natural resources are degraded rapidly and in due course cannot be used for betterment of humans. Soil, water, air, and vegetation are the most important natural resources for the survival of human beings and animals.

     For maximum production of vegetation all the resources have to be managed efficiently and effectively. For efficient management of these resources, one has to look for a suitable unit(s) of management so that these resources are managed and handled effectively, collectively, and simultaneously. Watershed management can be defined as rational utilization of all the natural resources for optimum production to fulfill the present need with minimal degradation of natural resources such as land, water, and environment. Water can be managed if a watershed is taken as a unit. Since soil and vegetation can also be conveniently and efficiently managed in this unit, the watershed is considered the ideal unit for managing the vital resources of soil, water, and vegetation. In the watershed, people and animals are the integral parts of the watershed community. They depend on the watershed and they in turn influence the good or bad happenings. Participation of people is essential for the success of the watershed programs. Participatory watershed management is a process which aims to create a self-supporting system essential for sustainability. The concept of participatory watershed management emphasizes a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional approach. The process begins with the management of soil and water which eventually leads to the development of other resources. Human resource development and large-scale participation is essential since finally it is the people who have to manage their resources. People's or farmers' participation is the key to the success of any integrated watershed development program.

     The project on "Sustaining Asian Rainfed Agriculture: Improving Management of Natural Resources" addresses the following issues:

  • Enhancing crop production; and
  • Minimizing degradation of natural resource base.

    •      The overall objective of this project is to enhance and sustain crop productivity of medium-high water-holding capacity soils in the intermediate rainfall ecoregion of the semi-arid tropics (SAT) of Asia. The specific objectives are to:

  • Introduce practices for sustained increases in agricultural productivity; and
  • Reduce soil degradation and increase farmers' incomes through better management of natural resources.


    •       To achieve these objectives, we need to conduct on-station strategic research and on-farm developmental research. From this research we need to collect necessary data-sets to draw valid conclusions from the experiments we conduct.

          The primary requirements of any data-set are: quality, quantity, and timeliness. Unless these three parameters are fulfilled, valid conclusions cannot be drawn from the research conducted. This workshop is being conducted to address these issues and to decide and agree on (1) sets of data to be collected; (2) standard and uniform methods to be used; (3) at what frequency and intensity to collect data; and (4) how to store, process, and analyze these data-sets. The objectives of this workshop are to:
  • Equip the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-ICRISAT collaborating project scientists with necessary knowledge base and to provide them with hands-on computer-based training in appropriate methods for uniform collection, entry, and maintenance of different types of data from watershed such as soil, crop, hydrology, socioeconomics, climate, and other relevant natural resource factors.
  • Develop and maintain a standardized uniform system for data storage and retrieval for subsequent watershed- and regional-level (spatial) analyses pertinent to the objectives of the ADB Project.
  • Discuss various aspects of base-data analysis and their use for improving the management of natural resources for sustaining rainfed agriculture in South Asia.


    •       The approach will be through a participatory workshop for joint learning and hands-on-training for handling different data-sets. Basically this course is a refresher course so that all of us have a common understanding about the problems and the solutions for collecting necessary data-sets from this multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional and multi-country watershed project supported by the ADB. At the end of this workshop the goals to be achieved are to:
  • Agree on data-sets that should be collected from on-station and on-farm experiments conducted in this project.
  • Identify standard and uniform methods to collect necessary data-sets.
  • Become acquainted with entry and maintenance of data-sets through hands-on-experience on computers; and
  • Understand the ways to process data-sets for drawing valid inferences from our research.

    •       All the participants in this workshop have diverse expertise and are directly involved in conducting research in different countries and represent different institutions including state agricultural universities, state research institutions, and non-governmental organizations. Once we all decide what are the minimum data-sets to be collected from each experiment, which method to be followed, and how much and at what interval data need to be collected, we will be on a strong platform to undertake the research in the area of integrated watershed management. Our research is focused towards sustaining the productivity of rainfed agriculture in the SAT of Asia with minimal degradation of natural resources and for improving the wellbeing of the SAT people in general.