A new chapter opens for India’s drylands with a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) and the ICAR’s Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (ICAR-CRIDA). This strategic partnership will seek to blend on-the-ground experience with scientific expertise, aiming to propel dryland agriculture into a future of resilience and sustainability.
At the heart of this MoU lies a shared vision: to empower dryland communities by fostering innovation and knowledge-sharing. CRIDA, a premier research institute, brings to the table its deep understanding of arid ecosystems and its arsenal of drought-mitigating technologies. WOTR, a seasoned champion of rural development, boasts an intimate connection with grassroots realities, and in-house unit for trans-disciplinary applied research (Research-in-Use) and a proven track record of facilitating knowledge-based participatory development.
This synergy is expected to bring about a cascade of positive outcomes including:
- Sustainable Agricultural Practices: The MOU solidifies a joint commitment to develop, test, and disseminate sustainable agricultural practices, particularly in the context of climate resilience in rainfed areas.
- Collaborative Research:
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- Exchange of scientists and technologists for mutual benefit.
- Sharing of scientific data and literature to enrich both organizations’ knowledge base..
- Joint development of collaborative research projects addressing key challenges in dryland agriculture.
- Joint development of a framework, mechanism and methodology that provides locale and crop specific weather based agricultural advisories.
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- Training and Capacity Building:
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- Focus on enhancing knowledge and skills of farmers and stakeholders.
- Implementation of hands-on workshops, case studies, and field visits to promote practical learning and adaptation.
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As CRIDA and WOTR embark on this joint venture, their unified efforts are expected to yield significant contributions to sustainable agricultural practices, ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), and policy development, paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable future.
