Question

What is meant by watershed management? Mention its relevance in Indian context.

Hint:

Watershed management and its relevance in India

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
A watershed is the area of land from which all rainwater drains into a single river, stream or reservoir. Watershed management means planning the careful, sustainable use of the land, water, soil and vegetation within that area, treated as one connected unit.

Step 2: What watershed management involves.
It combines soil and water conservation methods such as building small check dams, contour bunding, afforestation and terracing on slopes, so that rainwater soaks into the ground and refills groundwater instead of running off and causing erosion.

Step 3: Relevance in India, water security.
Much of India depends on the monsoon, so managing a watershed helps store and use rainwater efficiently across the dry months, especially in drought-prone regions.

Step 4: Relevance in India, soil and livelihoods.
By checking soil erosion, watershed management protects farmland productivity, and government programmes like the Integrated Watershed Management Programme use it to raise rural incomes and reduce migration from degraded areas.

Final Answer:
Watershed management is the coordinated conservation of land and water within a drainage area, and it matters greatly in India for securing water supply, protecting soil and supporting rural livelihoods in a monsoon-dependent country.\[ \boxed{\text{Integrated care of a river's drainage area}} \]