Uttarakhand Decentralized Watershed Development II

The objective of the Uttarakhand Decentralized Watershed Development Project (II) is to increase the efficiency of natural resource use and productivity of rainfed agriculture by participating communities in selected microwatersheds of the State of Uttarakhand. To this end, the Government of India and the State of Uttarakhand have requested World Bank funds to further the four components of the project, i) Social Mobilization and Participatory Watershed Planning, ii) Watershed Treatment and Rainfed Area Development, iii) Enhancing Livelihood Opportunities, and iv) Knowledge Management and Project Coordination. Under the watershed treatment component, nature-based solutions will be used to address water supply and drought. These nature-based and complementary measures included: (a) the construction and rehabilitation of recharge pits, ponds, vegetative structures and other soil conservation structures; (b) perimeter rehabilitation with Napier and other grasses; (c) forestry activities (e.g., plantations and nursery development); and (d) promotion of alternate energy sources (e.g., biogas plants, solar cookers, water mills, and pine briquette production).