How do you make every drop of water count? On World Water Day, we highlight ICRISAT’s initiatives with partners that promote the SDG goals of building sustainable cities and communities and providing clean water.

1. INVESTING
IN WATER
World Water Day
22 March 2017

2. An agroforestry system that uses traditional water harvesting
techniques; prevents soil erosion, increases soil fertility.
Bioreclamation of Degraded Lands in Niger

3. Planting Pits (Zaï Holes):
• 20x20x20 cm pits filled with manure or compost. The
manure stimulates root growth and the pit harvests rain
water for the individual plant.
Trenches
• Collect the extra runoff allowing water to percolate into
the soil for moringa shrubs.
Micro-catchments or demi-lunes
• Collects and stores rainwater that is enough to sustain
the trees during dry spells.
Catching the water

4. High-value and nutritious trees planted
• Moringa stenopetala: This tree recently introduced from
Ethiopia can produce high leaf yield and is highly
nutritious.
• Domesticated Ziziphus mauritiana (called Pomme du
Sahel).
• Hardy, high-value annuals planted in the zaï holes (Okra,
Roselle, Senna obtusifolia or sicklepod legume).
Pomme du Sahel Senna obtusifoliaOkra

5. Women empowered
BDL mainly operated by women who are
the beneficiaries through land
acquisition and higher incomes

6. • 12 projects
• Partnering with 7 organizations
• Indian states covered: Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India

7. CSR
Ensuring groundwater sustainability through integrated
watershed management interventions in Telangana
Improving rural
livelihoods through
farmer-centric integrated
watershed management
in Andhra Pradesh

8. CSR
Improving rural livelihoods through
integrated watershed management in
Bellary district in Karnataka

9. Ms Sheela Sikandur from Raichur,
Karnataka, India, adopted the
integrated farming approach and
diversified multiple cropping system to
convert her barren field into a
profitable business model.
Today, her net income from the land is
₹120,000 ($1,888) per year. Trained
women farmers add to their income by
adopting eco-friendy ways – enriching
the soil by recycling farm waste
through vermicomposting, raising
Gliricidia nurseries for organic fertilizer
and managing water resources.
.
CSR
Improving climate resilience
of tribal farmers in Thane
District, Maharashtra, India
through integrated watershed
management program

10. • Additional groundwater storage
capacity of more than 68,000 m3
• Groundwater recharge of
170,000 m3 or more every year
• Increased crop yield up to 29%.
Impacts
• Increased milk yield of 1 litre/animal/day
with net income of ₹ 8,973 (USD 137)/day
• Greater greenery and improvement in soil
health
• Significant goodwill created in the village.

11. Average annual family income rose
from ₹ 50,000 to ₹ 125,000 (USD 760-
1900) in 3-4 years.
Water
• Harvested approx. 250,000 m3 of
surface runoff every monsoon
• Average increase in groundwater
table by 2.5 m.
Agriculture
• Increased cropping intensity by 50%
• Improved varieties of chickpea and
wheat introduced; crop yield increased
by 30-50%
• Shift from low-value (chickpea and
mustard) to high-value crops (vegetables
and wheat)
• Fodder availability increased
substantially.
Impacts

12. Crop management solutions
• Increased yields 14-22%.
Introducing new livelihood options
• Women farmers raising rams, running
nurseries, vermicomposting, vegetable
cultivation.
Capacity building of >1,800 farmers
Sustainable water management
solutions
• Increased surface water by
35,000m3.

13. Impacts
Sustainable water management
solutions
• Increased surface water by
36,000m3
Soil health assessment
Capacity building of >1,000
farmers
Crop management solutions
• Increase in cropping intensity 13-20%
• Increase in crop productivity 19-27%.
Introducing new livelihood options
• SHG women farmers – raising rams,
vermicomposting.

14. • Treating domestic/industrial waste water
for use in agriculture
• Decentralized wastewater treatment
system and reuse of treated wastewater
provide a solution for safe reuse of
domestic wastewater at community scale.
• Implementation and management of the
system can be handled by community
based organization (women self-help
groups) as an income generating activity.
Urban wastewater recycling for use in
agriculture

15. Thank You