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Here are some of the basic questions that we encounter when we talk about watershed development. These then are the questions with their answers.
 What is a watershed?
A watershed can be defined as the drainage basin of a catchment area of a particular stream or river, including glaciers. Simply put, it refers to the area above any point on a defined drainage channel, which feeds water into it. A watershed may vary from a few hectares to several thousands of hectares.
What is watershed development?
Watershed development refers to the conservation, regeneration and judicious utilisation of all the resources – land, water, vegetative, animal and human - within a particular watershed. Watershed development seeks to bring about an optimal equilibrium in the eco-space between natural resources, humans and animals.
What is the link between watershed development and humans?
A watershed is not only a geographic area, but also a living space. It is basically the area of survival of the community living within it and drawing its sustenance from it. In resource fragile areas, these demands and claims on the environment are enormous.
In order to conserve, enhance and regenerate natural resources, while at the same time ensuring that claims made on it are within its carrying capacity, it is important that all those individuals and groups – who often are in competition and conflict with one another – come together, develop a common understanding of their problems, arrive at a shared consensus on measures to be taken and work out conflict resolution, arbitration and benefit-sharing mechanisms that are fair to all.
Without this it would not be possible to develop and manage on a sustainable basis the watershed they live in. For this, the capacity of the community has to be enhanced to plan, implement and manage the physical and social components of watershed development.
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