WOTR & W-CReS, with the support of GIZ, brought together multiple stakeholders, researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners to explore a fundamental question: How do we build resilient food systems in an era of climate uncertainty?
A Better Tomorrow
Stories, Practices, and Solutions
Experts fear early monsoons in Maharashtra could disrupt the sowing and harvesting cycles. We spoke to farmers across Maharashtra to understand their losses, coping strategies, and expectations.
The title ‘Mahila Pravartak’ may sound official, but it captures something far more powerful: a woman changemaker. These women are the backbone of WOTR’s community health efforts—moving door-to-door, to bring real transformation to the communities they serve.
WOTR’s initiatives ensure healthcare access across rural India by combining traditional knowledge with local networks for disseminating information about nutrition, contributing to India’s efforts to provide healthcare access for all citizens.
Within a small place, Singaram Budhundu from Telangana and his family members manage a small kitchen garden which provides his family with a steady stream of fruits and vegetables, adds to their nutrition and also boosts the family income
The Watershed Organisation Trust actively participated in Poshan Maah 2024 by implementing several programmes addressing malnutrition and health issues among women and children in India
Sahulia Singh’s family, once reliant on a limited diet of rice and potatoes, now grows a variety of vegetables through WOTR’s kitchen garden initiative, improving their nutrition and reducing dependence on distant markets.
Aruna Ganesh Shivasagar, a resident of Kumbharwadi village, Sangamner, dreamt of growing her own food despite not owning land. With support from WOTR and Axis Bank Foundation’s ‘Sustainable Livelihoods Programme’, she embraced gurney gardening in her front yard. Despite initial skepticism, Aruna successfully cultivated a variety of vegetables, reaping a harvest within three months.
Singaram Budhundu, 58, is a marginal farmer who lives with his family of 8 in Chinnajetram village in Narayanpet, Telangana. He owns 2 acres of land, where he grows rice and red gram. Within a small place, Budhundu and his family members manage a small kitchen garden and grow vegetables like red chillies, brinjal, tomatoes, okra and cauliflower using water from the household tap.
Aligned with WOTR’s mission to enhance the livelihoods of small and marginalised farmers, FPOs facilitate collective action, promote sustainable farming practices, and provide better market access. This article outlines the critical role FPOs play in strengthening food systems and ensuring food security and highlights their relevance to WOTR’s initiatives.
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When unsafe drinking water became a daily health risk, a clean borewell in an Odisha village brought relief, dignity, and a return to healthier lives.
Community-led solar irrigation in Padardi Village boosting crop yields, enhancing household incomes, empowering women, and driving climate-resilient, sustainable rural development in Rajasthan.
A reflection on WOTR’s 32-year journey translating grassroot watershed and climate resilience practice & research into state and national policies.
Monocropping’s long-term impacts on soil, pests, and farmer incomes are explored through insights from Nitin Kumbhar, highlighting sustainable alternatives, diversification strategies, and pathways to climate-resilient agriculture in India.
A family in Odisha rebuilds their lives after a tragic accident, using community support to start a small shop that restores their livelihood, dignity, and hope.
A glimpse into the cultural practices and land-based traditions of tribal communities in WOTR’s project regions.
Drawing from work with smallholder farmers—from Kumbharwadi in Maharashtra to Madaul in Odisha—WOTR has contributed key experiences, insights, and evidence to the Stories of Resilience 2025, a publication launched by the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil.
How can smallholders farm fish while safeguarding their local ecosystems? One promising answer lies in farm ponds.