The Department of Land Resources, Government of India has initiated a World Bank supported multi-State project namely Rejuvenating Watershed for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD). REWARD is currently being implemented in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. It is proposed as a 6 years Project. It is expected to positively influence by promoting resource efficient growth in selected watersheds, investing in human capital at State and National levels, and developing networks of scientific and technical partners. The project will enhance productivity and net income of farmers and contribute significantly by implementing new science and data-driven approaches for climate resilient watershed management, land resource inventory, land use planning, and precision farming in a range of agro-ecological conditions in participating states. The project will directly address key strategic actions around agricultural and rural development, including doubling farmers’ incomes, more crop per drop, water to every plot, soil health, and promotion of entrepreneurship through technical and financial support for better delivery and impacts through improved planning approaches, capacity building, coordination and convergence, and supportive research and development. The outcomes are prevention of soil run-off, regeneration of natural vegetation, rain water harvesting and recharging of the ground water table. This enables multicropping and the introduction of diverse agro-based activities, which help to provide sustainable livelihoods to the people residing in the watershed area The REWARD project would be state-driven and a flexible approach to be adopted in participating states to select watersheds for developing improved data bases and watershed plans, as well as 10 – 20 Green field sites to establish model watersheds on saturation approach. The total allocation for the Project is approximately USD250 million of which USD178.5 million is International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan from the World Bank and the balance is funded by the Government of India/ State Governments. Odisha is likely to get a credit of USD 70 million, based on a 70/30 World Bank-GoI/State cost sharing. The REWARD project will be designed following programme for results (PforR) framework and the fund release will be based on result indicators. The DoLR would also be an implementing partner through its own financing agreement with the Bank to implement a stand-alone national-level component. Technical guidance and support to other states would come through a Lighthouse approach with Sujala-III project from the Karnataka Watershed Development Department and its existing network technical partners.

Project Objectives :

The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve land and water conservation and climate resilience in selected watersheds, and strengthen capacities of national and state institutions to deliver more effective science-based watershed development programs.

Key Results :

The activities under the REWARD Program are mapped for five key Results Areas.

Result Area 1:

Strengthening institutional capacity for watershed development

• Enhancing human resources capacity at district and block levels – both skill sets and numbers.
• Strengthening agriculture extension systems.
• Enhancing systems and capacity of community institutions for effective governance.
• Establishing a centre of excellence on science-based watershed management.

Result Area 2:

Building an enabling policy framework

• Development of guidelines for integrated science-based planning and resource deployment by state line departments in watershed areas.
• Adoption of O&M policy guidelines to strengthen governance and sustainability of watersheds.
• Creation of a multi-stakeholder platform for policy advocacy for management of rainfed areas and watersheds
• Piloting of policy innovation on the linking of fertilizer subsidy to soil health status

Result Area 3:

Improving science based watershed management

• Partnerships between SWDs and technical and scientific institutions
• Creation of the digital library and portal with Land Resources Inventory (LRI) data, hydrology data and Decision Support Systems (DSS) for watersheds covering soil and water conservation planning, crop planning, land capability grouping, nutrient management, run-off, farm pond and check dam planning, crop water requirements, soil moisture and water balance, water budgeting among others.
• Planning and implementation of watershed development interventions in select sub-watersheds in a saturation mode
• Provision of weather-based agro-advisories for farmers

Result Area 4:

Protecting and enhancing livelihoods in watershed areas

• Implementation of value chain development interventions through promotion of FPOs and PPPs in select watersheds
• Livelihood enhancement support for land-poor and land-less households

Result Area 5:

Enhancing monitoring, evaluation, learning and knowledge sharing

• Strengthening the MIS on watershed management
• Developing a scientific assessment and impact evaluation system