Implications of Watershed Management Programs for Sustainable Development in Rural Scenario-A Case Study from Foothills of Punjab State, India

Watershed management programs (WMP) are widely adopted across the globe for judicious use of natural resources. It can help us to achieve UN sustainable goals by 2030 also in a sytematic way. These programs help in preserving environmental and ecological balance by maintaining the natural and anthropogenic pressures in the watershed. WMPs have enabled sustainable management in typical rural scenarios where land degradation is predominant at an alarming rate due to intensive agricultural cum anthropogenic activities. A huge amount of central and state government funds have been utilized for construction of check dams, silt detention structures, gabion structures, afforestation schemes, capacity building programs for rural lively hoods, etc. to elevate the region from the poverty line. This necessitates for monitoring of these activities; and the present study demonstrates use of geospatial technology in monitoring effects of WMPs in the rural landscape of Punjab, India. High-resolution satellite images were used for monitoring the conservation measures at grass root level and analyzing the implications in the region. Field investigation and growth in net productivity of the region also clearly indicated that there is significant improvement in the selected watershed due to augmentation of the conservation measures, infrastructure facilities, and socio-economic conditions.