The New Generation Of Watershed Management Programmes And Projects

On the occasion of the International Year of Mountains-2002, FAO and its partners undertook a large-scale assessment and global review of the current status and future trends of integrated and participatory watershed management. The overall objectives were to promote the exchange and dissemination of experiences in implementing watershed management projects in the decade from 1990 to 2000 and to identify the vision for a new generation of watershed management programmes and projects. This resource book represents a summary and critical analysis of the rich discussions and vast materials that emerged during the review, as well as the review's findings and recommendations. It presents the state of the art in watershed management, promotes further reflection and creative thinking and proposes new ideas and approaches for future watershed management programmes and projects. This publication has been written primarily for field-level watershed management practitioners and local decision-makers involved in watershed management at the district or municipality level. It will also be a useful source of information for other readers such as senior officers and consultants specialized in other areas, evaluators, policy-makers and students of watershed management

Watershed management has gained momentum over the past decade as a holistic way of conserving water, land and biodiversity resources while sustaining livelihoods. Based on 12 projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, this publication looks at both the strengths and weaknesses of the approach and highlights the need for stronger governance and long-term sustainability.

Proceedings from the International Conference on Sustainability Science for Watershed Landscapes held in Honolulu, Hawaii in November 2007.

Main pointsThough stakeholders are already aware of the importance of sustainable non-timber forest product (NTFP) management and integrated watershed management, they have yet to fully appreciate or implement them.Experiences from community facilitation show that management of one type of traditional NTFP – tengkawang (illipe nut) – from its upstream cultivation to downstream marketing could become an entry point for integrated landscape management in the Labian-Leboyan watershed.Lessons learned from activities in several Iban Dayak communities show that external facilitation from outside the villages is important as it can accelerate collaboration processes between village communities and external stakeholders; and help in establishing local strategies that integrate modern knowledge with customary rules.