WOTR’s publications on applied research include research reports, policy briefs, information briefs, working papers, position papers, etc. on issues related to watershed development, climate change, water, agriculture, livelihoods, health and nutrition, gender, and alternate energy. Many papers are published in peer-reviewed journals. Our research outputs showcase our engagement with diverse stakeholders, offering insights and best practices derived from implementation on the ground. The underlying aspect of our research output is ‘research-into-use’, where we strive to undertake research studies that help support vulnerable communities.
Making the Invisible, Visible
Continuing our efforts in demystifying the technology and knowledge for empowerment of the local community, WOTR presents the tool “Making the Invisible, Visible: A Manual for Preparing the CoDriVE- Visual…
From ME to WE….. From MINE to OURS!
When the water situation in rural communities becomes dire because of high temperatures, inconsistent rainfall, and water wastage, who should step up to address it? This beautifully illustrated story of…
A Step Towards Quenching Rural India’s Thirst
Groundwater is the backbone of India’s agriculture and drinking water security today. India is the largest groundwater user in the world. Groundwater supports 84% of the country’s net irrigated area,…
People’s Biodiversity Register A How-To manual
Biodiversity is our heritage that will protect us. Hence, it is important to protect our biodiversity. With the the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the goal of establishing people’s rights over…
GIS Based Soil Fertility Status of Selected Villages in Maharashtra
This publication has the detailed information about soil health indicators, importance of soil health cards and categorization of soil based on nutrient availability. It also includes spatial maps of various…
Improving Animal Health Services: Understanding morbidity and mortality losses due to diseases in livestock
The study is being implemented on estimating the economic losses incurred by farmers due to animal mortality and morbidity. Although several disease-specific economic loss studies have been done, understanding the…
You Gave ME a Chance
‘You Gave ME a Chance’, is the voice of thousands of lives that have been transformed through the support of the Becker/Cordes Stiftung and the Rotary Clubs of Hagen-Lenne and…
Building Resilience to Climate Variability in Maharashtra
Farmers are already experiencing climate variability – the precursor and manifestation of a profound long term shift underway in climate dynamics and they are largely unprepared for it.This unpredictability and…
Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation Systems in Watershed Development:
Watershed development is one of the largest developmental interventions in the country in terms of resources, geographical spread and agencies involved. The major objective of almost all watershed development programmes…
Making Agriculture Climate Smart: A Compendium of Weather-Based Advisories for Management of Green gram – Rabi Sorghum cropping sequence in Parner Block of Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra
Weather based calendars help farmers to take appropriate decision during aberrant weather conditions. Information on crop, its phonological growth stages and the week by week weather during the crop season…
Making Agriculture Climate Smart: A Compendium of Weather-Based Advisories for Management of Paddy-Chickpea cropping sequence in Sakri Block of Dhule District, Maharashtra
Weather based calendars help farmers to take appropriate decision during aberrant weather conditions. Information on crop, its phonological growth stages and the week by week weather during the crop season…
Making Agriculture Climate Smart: A Compendium of Weather-Based Advisories for Management of Soybean-Wheat cropping sequence in Bhokardan Block of Jalna District, Maharashtra
Weather based calendars help farmers to take appropriate decision during aberrant weather conditions. Information on crop, its phonological growth stages and the week by week weather during the crop season…
Making the Invisible, Visible: A Manual for Preparing the CoDriVE- Visual Integrator to overlay surface and sub-surface characteristics to understand the Groundwater Resources
Continuing our efforts in demystifying the technology and knowledge for empowerment of the local community, WOTR presents the tool “Making the Invisible, Visible: A Manual for Preparing the CoDriVE- Visual Integrator to overlay surface and sub-surface characteristics to understand the Groundwater Resources.”
From ME to WE….. From MINE to OURS! A Story of how motivation changes people’s perceptions and drives Community Action
When the water situation in rural communities becomes dire because of high temperatures, inconsistent rainfall, and water wastage, who should step up to address it? This beautifully illustrated story of…
Making Biodiversity A Community Resource, The People’s Biodiversity Register: A “How-To” Manual
This manual provides step-by-step guidance to non-experts on how to conduct and formulate a PBR (People’s Biodiversity Register) with the engagement of the local community. The PBR manual is an…
Participatory Net Planning: A Practitioners Handbook
PNP was born of the need to develop a practical, participation-promoting and inclusive methodology that is at the same time pedagogically and technically sound. The PNP methodology grew out of…
Making Agriculture Climate Smart
WOTR in collaboration with CRIDA, the State Agriculture University (MPKV) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has prepared a Weather Based Crop Management plan for 3 major crops of Akole…
बुंद बुंद से बनता सागर
A trainer’s manual in Hindi for Self Help Groups (SHGs). Download Article
थेंबे थेंबे तळे साचे
A trainer’s manual in Marathi for Self Help Groups (SHGs). Download Article
CoDriVE – Visual Integrator
This manual is the consequence of experiences gained while implementing “CoDriVE – Visual Integrator” on the ground in various villages in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Download Article
Children’s Biodiversity Register (CBR) A Field Guide
Ecologic newsletter highlights the Shishwad Biodiversity Festival. Download Article
Co DriVE Program Designer
This book tells the user (planner, researcher and development practitioner) about the tool CoDriVE-PD, the tool that helps craft projects that take into account vulnerability to climate change. This handbook…
You gave me a chance
‘You Gave ME a Chance’, is the voice of thousands of lives that have been transformed through the support of the Becker/Cordes Stiftung and the Rotary Clubs of Hagen-Lenne and…
A Step Towards Quenching Rural India’s Thirst Experiences and Learnings from the Water Stewardship Initiative in Maharashtra
Challenges in the water sector in India Groundwater is the backbone of India’s agriculture and drinking water security today. India is the largest groundwater user in the world. Groundwater supports…
IMPROVING ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICES Understanding morbidity and mortality losses due to diseases in livestock from five Indian States
The study is being implemented on estimating the economic losses incurred by farmers due to animal mortality and morbidity. Although several disease-specific economic loss studies have been done, understanding the…
People’s Biodiversity Register A How-To manual
Importance of protecting biodiversity Biodiversity is our heritage that will protect us. Hence, it is important to protect our biodiversity. With the the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the goal of…
Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation Systems in Watershed Development: Case Studies of Applied Tools
Watershed development is one of the largest developmental interventions in the country in terms of resources, geographical spread and agencies involved. The investments in watershed development programmes (Drought Prone Areas…
Making Agriculture Climate Smart: A Compendium of Weather-based Advisories for Management of Paddy, Finger Millet and Summer Groundnut in Akole Block of Ahmednagar Distrit, Maharashtra
Agriculture in india is highly vulnerable to climate change especially in rain-dependent regions which constitute over 60% of india’s cultivated area. Maharashtra, India’s second largest state on the western seaboard,…
BUILDING RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY: Block Level Contingency Plan for Weather Aberrations in Sangamner Block of Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra
Farmers are already experiencing climate variability – the precursor and manifestation of a profound long term shift underway in climate dynamics and they are largely unprepared for it. Centuries of…
Community-driven vulnerability assessment and resilience building: cases from development contexts
The developing world suffers most the impacts of climate change. The need for having more robust, inclusive and sustainable adaptation options has been emphasized in the Paris Agreement and the…
Energy, Development and Climate Change: Striking a Balance
Climate change is already happening and its effects, especially on rural communities in India, are particularly adverse. The need is to highlight the key issues and understand the practical challenges…
Towards Resilient Agriculture in a Changing Climate Scenario – Building Response Capacity of Small-Holder Producers
Climate change is already happening and its effects, especially in rural communities in India, are particularly adverse. The need is to highlight the key issues and understand the practical challenges…
Local Exchange Systems: Designing Community Incentives
Economic Globalization in its current form is a centralising juggernaut which often causes large-scale resource depletion in remote eco-systems, unpredictable price variations in essential commodities and lead to macroeconomic upheaval.…
Livestock systems, vulnerability and climate change – Insights from the grass roots
The proposition Drylands cover about 41 percent of Earth’s land surface and are inhabited by more than two billion people, of which 90 percent are in developing countries. They are…
Food and Nutrition Security and Climate Change: Strategies for a Sustainable Future
There is growing acceptance that climate is changing, and will impact ecosystems and food production all over the world; in most cases, irreversibly. Food is an ecosystem service, which is…
DROUGHT: A litmus test for Watershed Development
Droughts are difficult to see. Unlike earthquakes and tsunamis where thousands come running to help, and funds pour in from all quarters, drought is rarely seen as an emergency. They…
Little Drop of Water Make a Mighty Ocean
Desite initial attempts to improve the condition of their life they usually reach a state of frastration and give up. The down-side continues untill they begin to critically look at…
The Carbon Climax: End of HydroCarbon Legacy A Decade of Metamorphosis and Rapid Change
While unbridled use of fossil fuels has triggered climate change, the impending peak oil will make it frighteningly difficult for the world to adapt to variations in weather and other…
Agriculture market price fluctuations, changing livestock systems and Vulnerability Connect – a case of Mhuswandi watershed, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra
Majority of the rural poor in India depend on livestock rearing as a means of livelihood. In resource fragile regions, semi-arid and arid regions, in particular, livestock plays a critical…
Gender Dimension of Climate Change Adaptation: an exploration into the perceptions of women and the community
Substantial past work and documentation exists on gender and environment issues, but there is little explicit research on the gendered impact of climate change. Women being the poorest in the…
What are we in for? Rural dynamics in the context of Climate Change
Climate change is upon us and we are faced with the challenge of understanding what is really happening, predicting what is likely to happen and more importantly, finding appropriate ways…
Drop by Drop
The Land and the People Bankimchandra, the visionary poet salutes the prosperity of the motherland and its rich natural resources and plentiful water. Yet, a look at the landscape of…
Insertion of Exogenous Development Measures on an Endogenous System: A Case Study of the Gangewadi Water Resources Management
Various systems have been developed by local communities in their attempt to address common needs particularly that of food and water security. The design of these takes the local socio-ecological…