Watershed management emphasises scientific soil and water conservation in order to increase the biomass production. The aim is to develop primary resources of land and water to produce secondary resources of plants and animals for use in a manner which will not cause ecological imbalance.
Watershed management not only increases the production and income of the watershed community but also mitigates droughts and floods and increases the life of the downstream dam and reservoirs.
Water harvesting techniques are highly locale specific and the benefits are also localised. Giving people control over their local water resources ensures that mismanagement and over exploitation of these resources is reduced.
The advantages of water stored in the ground are many. It does not evaporate, but spreads out to a recharge wells and provides moisture for vegetation over wide area. It does not provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes like stagnant water collected in ponds or artificial lakes. The ground water is also relatively protected from contamination by human and animal waste.
