Participatory Watershed Management for Reducing Poverty and Land Degradation in SAT Asia - Thailand

1. Participatory Watershed Management for Reducing Poverty and Land Degradation in SAT Asia - Thailand • Objectives • To increase productivity of rainfed systems in NE Thailand through increased • water and nutrient use efficiency and conservation of soil and water resources • To improve rural livelihoods through sustainable development of natural • resources with participatory watershed approach Rainfall, runoff and soil loss from watersheds with different land use systems at Tad Fa watershed, 2003. • Two benchmark watersheds in Thailand • Tad Fa , Khon Kaen • Wang Chai, Khon Kaen  Tad Fa watershed Wang Chai Watershed Mean rainfall : 1300 mm Major crops : Maize, fruit trees, vegetables, rice-bean and upland rice Major Constraints : High land degradation, low productivity, low income and water shortage Rainfall : 1200 mm Major Crops : Rice, sugarcane, cowpea, groundnut, fruit trees Major Constraints : Low fertility of soil, Low water holding capacity,High runoff and flooding, Poor productivity and income water shortage in post rainy season Activities at Wang Chai Watershed 2003 Tad Fa Watershed Development • Digital topographic, land use and soil series map in GIS format • Socio-economic survey and data collection done • Construction of structure and installation of hydrological equipments • Data on rainfall, runoff and soil loss were collected • Experiment on integrated nutrient management was conducted • Evaluation of new crops and varieties for yield potentials • 39 ponds each 1260 m3 water storage capacity constructed with vetiver planting on bunds • Water utilization as supplemental irrigation to paddy, dry season crops, fruit trees and fish production Soil erosion control: 10 Km vetiver planting along contour line Topographic map Contour cultivation Farm pond: 17 no. Capacity : 1260 m3 Expansion of Improved Technologies at Tad Fa Watershed During 2003, Eighteenfarmers planted maize on 197 ha (68% of the total area) with contour cultivation Improved Crops and Cropping Systems • 17 farmers sown rice- bean and 35 farmers cowpea as sequential crop after rice. Sevenfarmers adopted the relay cropping of rice- bean with maize • Area under fruit trees cultivation has increased both in and around Tad Fa watershed. Several new fruits and varieties have been introduced. About 1500 fruits trees (longan, litchi, jack fruits) were given to farmers. Fruit Trees Cultivation Farm pond with vetiver grass on bund Socio-economic survey Hydrologic monitoring station Consortium Partners India: ICRISAT, CRIDA, IISS, JNKVV, ANGRAU, BAIF, APRLP, DWMA, NRSA Thailand: DOA, DLD, KKU Vietnam: VASI China: GAAS, YAAS USA: University of Georgia • To increase the productivity and survival of fruit trees new systems viz., intercrop banana with other fruit trees, mulching, inter-row water harvesting, and grown annual crops along with fruit trees