Climate Change Mitigation in India's Drylands

Water has emerged as one of the most important commodities of the 21st century.Nevertheless, water is a shared responsibility of consumers, communities, governments and corporations (UN 2006).The global demand for freshwater over the next 25 years is expected to exceed by 40% with serious ecological, economic and social consequences (Hoekstra 2013).

Floriculture Report

The Government of India had declared 2001 as the ‘Year of Women’s Empowerment’ by passing a national policy to enhance the status of women in society. However, much of the rural women’s work is not systematically accounted for in official statistics and the national data collection agencies admit that there is under-estimation of tribal women's contribution as workers (Leach and Sitaram 2002).

Mota Darola Rapid Report

During 1995-1996, the Sadguru Foundation initiated a community lift irrigation (LI) scheme at Mota Dharola village (currently Santrampur taluka, Mahisagar district, Gujarat). In February 2014, I visited Mota Dharola accompanied by colleagues, Ramesh Patel (Head of Forestry) and Kanhaiya Choudhary (CEO, Sadguru Foundation) and spoke to community leaders to assess the economic impact of lift irrigation.

RKVY Banswara

It has been a matter of great priviledge for us to be involve in the rapid study and assessment of RKVY project implemented by highly reputed NGO Sadguru Foundation in district Banswara. We are greatful to the organisation to entrust this study to us as it has been always a matter of pride for anyone to undertake such study of the partnership work of the government and reputed NGO.

Water to Economy - Sunderrajan - INREM

In the late 1980s, Robert Chambers and I visited scores of development initiatives around India to understand what works best for improving the livelihoods of poor people. Sadguru Foundation in Dahod was one of those NGOs with which we spent quite sometime especially because all of Sadguru's work targeted poor Adivasi communities. The book that we coauthored in 1987, “To the hands of the poor: Water and trees” (Chambers, Saxena and Shah 1987) was deeply influenced by our Sadguru experience.

WEALTH FROM WATER - Sunderrajan - INREM

As Founding Chairman of INREM Foundation, it is my pleasure and honour to write this preface to yet another rigorous research-based report documenting the socio-economic and hydrological impacts of Sadguru's pioneering work in Banswara and Jhalawar districts of Rajasthan. The first report which was published in 2014 documented the impact of Sadguru's work in a pre-dominantly tribal district of Dahod in Gujarat. I have been associated personally and professionally with the Sadguru for the last over 35 years and have documented its experience in the form of several papers and book chapters.

Evaluation of Livelihood Enhancement through Land, Water Resources and Agriculture Development in Jhabua, Banswara and Jhalawar Projects - TTC

Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest source of livelihoods in India. Despite the immense contribution of agriculture to the Indian economy, the sector still lags in terms of efficient technologies, productivity, scientific package of practices, and water and soil conservation, which is the need of the hour. Developing sustainable and adequate infrastructure for water resources, incorporating better agriculture practices along with diversification of livelihood sources has been a crucial policy agenda in several Indian states.