Chapter II - Module I: Key features of sustainable watersheds

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the watershed management across the countries, specifically with reference to South Asia. It discusses various terminologies and concepts associated with watersheds and makes a distinction between watershed development and management. The importance of scale in terms of achieving environmental objectives is also discussed and highlights the importance of an integrated approach for achieving long-run environmental objectives. Sustainable watershed management is defined as ensuring environmental, economic, and institutional (social) sustainability. It is argued that sustainable watershed management can contribute to water, energy, and food nexus in the long run. Various methods and tools adopted in the process of understanding the socioeconomic, biophysical, and hydrogeologic aspects of an integrated approach used in the case studies are discussed.