Participation in Watershed Management Projects-RLO

Participation in Watershed Management
Projects
Swarn Lata Arya, Principal scientist,

Economics
Central soil & Water Conservation
Research &Training Institute, Research
Centre, Chandigarh, India
Participation in Watershed Management Projects
Water being conveyed from a

Harvested water being used for natural source
irrigation
Multi-Utility water points Renovated pond

What is participation?
• Participation can have different connotations
- Often authors mention different degrees of participation.
- Ultimately, it depends on the objective of the participation
process and for whom it is intended.
- In the words of Oakley and Marsden (1984, p88), “ meaningful
participation is concerned with achieving power: that is the
power to influence the decisions that affects one’s livelihood”.
• In this training module, participation is seen as active
involvement of people at the grass roots in all aspects of IWM
in order to empower marginal groups.
- Participation should not be coerced or manipulated.
- It involves a complex process (it is not easy).
Why is participation important ?
• Empirical research shows that participation indecision-making

and implementation of a project is essential for sustainability.
• Participation through participatory methods can uncover
previously unheard voices.
• This can ensure the involvement of disadvantaged groups,
provided they are able to participate.
• It provides knowledge of and confidence in local people,
overriding orthodox imposition by outsiders and elite.
• It can lead to shared understanding
• It can help in conflict resolution, even in complex and changing
situations.
• It can provide people with ownership.
• This can result in the commitment of the community to its
watershed management programme.
Various ways through which people participate
Attending meetings called to discuss matters relating to the

design, implementation monitoring and evaluation of NRM.
Contributing money, labour in the project activities of common
interest.
Seeking new knowledge and information and sharing it with
other members of the community as well with project authorities.
Following the rules and regulations set by the community/
organization in consultation with local people.
Adoption of technologies and practices recommended by the
project authorities.
Abstaining from doing any harms or damage to the common
property or assets created as a result of participatory efforts.
Influencing directly or indirectly the design, direction and
implementation of the project.
Various forms of participations
Formal Vs Informal participation
Formal participation is provided for by byelaws of organization
interested in seeking the people’s participation or by legislation and
administration informal the programme officials on their own initiation
seek participation and it is not required officially.
Individual Vs Representative participation
Individual participation is always direct. People are invited in their
individual capacities. Where-as in representative participation people
participate in decision making through representatives who may be
directed or elected or nominated by the people. In this case the
participation is indirect.
Consultation
In this the programme authorities seek the opinion of the target
group to design, implement and monitor the projects.
Co-operation
It means the process by which the local people participate in
projects through the co-option of their representatives on the Joint
Management Committees.`
Participatory Approaches- the benefits
Making participation an The consequences of not

integral part of including participation in
management can lead to Natural resource
positive impacts in terms Management
of processes and outputs
1. The inclusion of existing Failures to protect the
locally based knowledge and resources because of a lack of
technique can lead to more support from local people, who
effective outcomes. perceive it as irrelevant to their
to their experiences
2. It can lead to development of Communities are not motivated
more durable and sustainable to contribute towards success
solutions by identifying a broad
range of concerns
Contd.
3. It can lead to a sense of Objectives not clearly
ownership and responsibility understood by local
making it easier to mobilize communities that are excluded
local support from the development process,
resulting in low management
impact.
4. Local concerns can be Lack of co-operation between
addressed leading to broader individuals and agencies can
social and economic benefits result in management
distributed in a more equitable dysfunctions.
manner.
5. Transferring power can Failure results in further

contribute to community degradation of the resources
development and meet broader and a worse quality of life for
social objectives local people.
Costs of Participation
• Using existing patterns of local power and

organization can reinforce existing inequities rather
than stimulate desired system change (Kolawoli,
1982). It favor local elitist, already better off.
• The main obstacles to participation however, are the

difficulty of implementing it in practice. It takes
additional time and resources to mobilize less
developed Communities.
• The difficulty of sustaining collective action over the

long term, where contributions are obviously costly
and benefits are both hard to measure and dispersed
over time and space deepens the pessimism about
the likelihood of success.
Determinants of participation
There are many factors that affect stakeholder’s
participation in watershed management
programmes (Korten, 1983; CIRDAP, 1984;
Mishra et al, 1984; CANARI, 1998; Pretty and
Hine, 1999).
• Resource Specific: If resource is the central

point i.e. means of survival for a particular
community, people will participate only when
their basic needs are fulfilled directly and
immediately
User Community Specific:
A number of socio-cultural characteristics
including beliefs and values of the communities of
resource users affect their participation in NRM
programmes.
(a) Awareness: Sometimes local people do not participate

simply because they are not aware about the seriousness
of the problem.
(b) Socio-economic structures: Homogeneity and

heterogeneity of a community in terms of caste, class,
assets, and income are important determinants of people’s
participation.
© Organization and Leadership: Availability of good local

leadership is essential for organizing people, mobilizing
their resources, nurturing and sustaining the organization.
(d)Economic Status: Real participation occurs
among the equals only. Very- very poor
people cannot afford to spend time and
energy and money on participation if the
benefits from such participation are low,
delayed and uncertain.
(e)Prejudices against women: Women are

very closely associated with the use or
misuse of natural resources- they should
not be discouraged from participation in
meetings, by forming separate groups.
Cont
.
Agency Specific Factors
(a)Locus of decision making: All decisions
should be taken in consultation with local
people in village itself and not in govt. offices
on their own at organizational level.
(b)Devolutionof Financial and Administrative

powers: Centralization of financial and
administrative powers is a characteristic
feature of govt. departments/organization.
Cont.
(c) Attitudes, Values and Skills of Agency
personnel: should be positive. Sometimes
they expect the local people to accept
whatever is offered to them and not to raise
any questions, complaints and suggestions.
(d) Perssonnel policies: For enlisting and

sustaining people participation, availability
of sufficiently long time perseverance and
commitment to the ideology of
participatory development, besides the
values and skills are required on the part of
the agency personnel.
Policy Implications
Participatory and collaborative management
does not occur in a vacuum. There has to be
a policy environment that is conducive to the
development.This requires sound
understanding of the requirements for
effective resource management, which can
only come through an ongoing process of
policy research and analysis.

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Participation in Watershed Management

Swarn Lata Arya, Principal scientist,

Water being conveyed from a

Multi-Utility water points Renovated pond

• Empirical research shows that participation indecision-making

Attending meetings called to discuss matters relating to the

Making participation an The consequences of not

5. Transferring power can Failure results in further

• Using existing patterns of local power and

• The main obstacles to participation however, are the

• The difficulty of sustaining collective action over the

• Resource Specific: If resource is the central

(a) Awareness: Sometimes local people do not participate

(b) Socio-economic structures: Homogeneity and

© Organization and Leadership: Availability of good local

(e)Prejudices against women: Women are

(b)Devolutionof Financial and Administrative

(d) Perssonnel policies: For enlisting and

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