Factors Affecting Watershed Management and Impact of Watershed Management Program on Sustainable Agriculture

Size, shape, slope, drainage, vegetation, geology, soil, climate, land use, etc., are considered as important factors that influence the watershed management. The watershed areas of the country are suffering from the following problems: (1) different degradation problems; (2) improper land use; (3) excessive cropping; (4) shifting cultivation; (5) slope cultivation; (6) overgrazing; and (7) human and animal pressure, etc., which cause severe soil erosion, desertification, siltation of harbor reservoirs and croplands, floods, droughts, fertility and soil moisture loss, and migration. The different management practices comprise hydrological, biological, bio-inputs, waste reuse, and land management. The impact and effectiveness of watershed initiatives such as Sukhomajri and Bunga have clearly shown that it is possible to embed ecologically sound rainfed agriculture in economically sustainable development. There are various ways to help in integrated watershed development.