Participatory Livelihood Plan of a Watershed Village: A Case Study in Jharkhand, India

Land and water are essential elements for the sustainability of the human being. Indiscriminate exploitation, injudicious and reckless use of resources for food, fodder and fuel has resulted in excessive soil erosion, deforestation and moisture stress. The end of result is resource poor situation leading to reduced food, fodder and fuel productivity. The new approach to development provides a paradigm shift in the traditional approach where the role of the government is changed from that of governance to facilitation. It envisages a bottom-up approach whereby the users' group themselves decide their work programme. In the above backdrop, a participatory exercise was carried out in the Sirka-Sonuabera village, which is a part of Vivekananda Jalchhajan Samity Micro-Watershed project. The basic objective of this exercise was to frame a comprehensive land utilization plan to enhance the livelihood opportunities of the villagers using the benefit of micro-watershed project. The study highlights the bio-physical and socio-economic characteristics of the community to determine the problems encountered by the community and to recommend appropriate plans of action in addressing these problems through villagers' participation. Finally a plan has been finalised with a hope that, it would change the livelihood condition of the community because participation fosters ownership of the people over resources and produce better results.