International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance

Introduction about WOTR

Watershed Organization Trust was established in December 1993 with the mandate to develop capacities of the various stakeholders for the Indo-German Watershed Development Program.

In a context where 38% of the country is semi-arid and completely arid, where 70% of our agriculture is rain-dependent, and where Climate Change is playing havoc both within India and globally, WOTR is an organization that represents the Trust among the poor, to make water flow for them. WOTR traps rain wherever it falls, plants trees, re-generates the forests, protects and enriches the environment, for the people and by the people who live therein.


The WOTR - Philosophy, Vision and Mission

Philosophy: Land degradation and water scarcity are the most intense and commonly felt needs of a village community that bring different groups of people together to begin their development process. Community restoration of the natural environment makes sustainability happen.
Such community led efforts help Combat some causes of Climate Change and Mitigate the impacts.

Vision: "Communities, especially the poor within, are empowered and secure their livelihood and well-being in sustainable ecosystems".
Mission: To provide committed development support, that motivates, energizes and empowers, communities, groups, other organizations and individuals, for self-help through integrated watershed development and enhancement of well-being on a sustainable basis.


Our Dream is being realized through the following Interventions:

1. Watershed Development: Natural Resources Management, Afforestation and Enhancing Land Productivity by soil, biomass and water conservation through participatory watershed development. Once the natural resources are regenerated, land productivity is enhanced through improved agriculture, horticulture and allied activities. (1. To date, 378,830 have been treated in 452 micro-watersheds, in 29 districts of Maharashtra. Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, either directly or by accompanying implementing NGOs and CBOs.) ("To date" refers to 30th September 2007. All data in this brochure are for this same cut off date.)

2. Institutional Development: Community Based Organizations are capacitated to be protagonists of their progress and development. All sections of the village community are engaged in this process. Women's latent potential is tapped by facilitating their organizations into SHGs and their apex body the village level Samyukt Mahila Samiti (SMS). (To date 476 Village Watershed Committees/Village Development Committee (VDC), 3798 SHGs and 215 SMS have been formed.)

3. Women's Empowerment: Surfacing her latent potential and dignity is the base of WOTR's approach. The women organized now contribute effectively to the development process of their family and village. They play a big role in saving local monies and bringing in external funds (micro-credit and micro-insurance) towards their progress. (1014 drudgery reduction and developmental activities and 293 income-generating activities have been initiated where 51,713 women have been engaged.) In this work we are assisted by our sister organization 'Sampada Trust' (for further information kindly contact the website: www.sampada.org).

4. Village Development: This is now initiated by a 'Village Envisioning' prioritize the most felt needs and work out their implementation. The VDC and SMS take care of their poor citizens by differential local contributions. Transparency and accountability to the village community is followed. Some of the commonly prioritized needs are land productivity, water and drinking water availability, sanitation, energy for cooking and lighting, education, health, local infrastructure ….. Funds are tapped from various sources.

5. Health: Promoting Health is the thrust: Nutrition in general and that of the 0-5 years age group in particular; hygiene, water and sanitation for the village and the local schools; Responsible Parenthood, Family Planning and Sex education are also addressed. (Water and sanitation have been implemented in 101 schools in 3 districts; in 130 villages the Growth Monitoring of 0-5 years children is in progress jointly by SMS and the Anganwadi.) (2. Since 2005 the WASUNDHARA approach has been followed. The Village Envisioning, Wealth Ranking and linkage to the PRI are some of the components of this approach.)

6. Renewable Energy for Rural Households: Initiated in April 2006, this unit of WOTR has the mandate to reach clean energy to rural households for cooking and lighting. We promote Solar Home Lighting Systems using LEDs (1700 households to date), Biogas plants for cooking and lighting (35 households). In-house we have designed our own stove, Agni, based on gassfire technology using agro-waste pellets and has just begun rolling out. Our target of reaching 5000 households (by end March 2008) with lights and clean fuel will save at least 66,300 liters of kerosene and 33,58,750 kilograms of tree material per annum!

7. Community Based Rural Tourism: The uniqueness about this initiative is that this is a community enterprise and the tribal and other rural communities take care of the hospitality. The visitors have a unique experience of getting in touch with the other side of India, as well as trekking in nearby hills. Since its initiation in April 2006, this has brought in 131 visitors (389 bed days) as groups, as couples and individuals.
(Visit us at www.grassroutes.co.in and www.wotr.org)
Contact us at: info@wotr.org, Phone: +91-241-2451460/ 2450188
Inir Pinheiro: inir.pinheiro@grassroutes.co.in, Mobile: +91.9969101861
Komal Singh: singhkom@gmail.com, Mobile: +91.9970233517

8. Knowledge Management:
(a) Research Unit undertakes relevant studies related to watershed and rural development that has application for the Primary Stakeholders; (the villagers), implementing agencies and decision makers.
(b) Information Technology develops software that has application for in-house use as also for development agencies in general, such as, MIS, DSS etc.
(c) Documentation and Communications Unit gathers information, experiences and
Impacts from the field and disseminates these through newsletters, articles, the web page, study reports and documentaries.

9. The Training Department and the Darewadi Training Center: WOTR offers trainings on the social and technical aspects participatory watershed and rural development, women's empowerment, entrepreneurship development. Trainings are conducted for participants at the national and also international levels, etc. The Darewadi Training Center (within a treated watershed) is the ideal spot to demonstrate results; (a total number of 4611 trainings have been conducted for the local, national and international participants involving a total number of 1,35,228 participants).

10. School for Sustainable Living and Livelihood: With professional education beyond the reach of the rural poor, courses have been started for rural youth (girls and boys) to give them relevant qualitative education required to maintain the regenerated natural resources, and for other services needed in rural areas. These courses will earn them a livelihood along with teaching them how to live in harmony within the ecosystem. Faculties from professional institutions volunteer their expertise and time. (in July 2007, two courses were launched and in January 2008, two more courses will be initiated.)

11. Consultancy Services offered for Watershed and Natural Resources, development, Rural Development, Community Mobilization, Gender and Women's Empowerment, Self-Help Group Promotion, Micro enterprise development, and for Programme Management, Institutional Development and ready made projects.


Who on earth can argue at this present time and age of climate change that Rainwater Harvesting is an act to be sneered at? The International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance, the IRHA joins many other rainwater harvesters to say it is now becoming more REAL than ever with the global warming phenomenon!


WOTR is How to reach Climate Change
An Alternative to WIN climate change with RENEWABLE ENERGY
Mitigation Goals with renewable energy


A worldwide truth is, "Water flows where money is"
The other truth is, "Water is life", preservation of rainwater therefore is economically and hygienically viable.
With the practice of rainwater harvesting, one has access to at least 7 times more water than most villagers get for survival! This is what the International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance, The IRHA has been working hard to awaken the awareness of the population for.
Watershed Organization Trust i.e. WOTR is an organization that represents the trust among the poor, to make water flow for them. WOTR harvests rainwater, plants trees, re-generates forests, protects and enriches the environment, for the people and by the people, who live therein. The IRHA was founded on such supreme action and ideal and welcomes all who agree with it.
Almost 60% rural households struggle to make Rs 25,000/- to help their 5 members live for a year. That is Rs. 14/- per person per day!


WOTR/HISTORY
WOTR started out as an organization that brought in rain water management. Over the years, WOTR learning showed a lot more work was needed in the direction of community participation. When ownership to change comes in over time, people will sustain that growth for years to come. The approach that WOTR had is now true to the Gandhian ideals, "measure progress by changing the life of poorest".
This requires extra effort and commitment.


RENEWABLE ENERGY to transform rural India
ENVIRONMENT AND HYGIENE
Only Dignity will change the face of India's countryside from the toilet space that it is. The stark fact is that the young girl child is a school drop out because there are not toilets in schools.
How often are we ashamed of being helpless in the face of the millions who do not have access to toilets?
WOTR promotes the biogas plant (2 m3) cum toilet in for Rs. 20,000 for a rural household.


LIGHT IS LITERACY
At dusk in city homes, it is homework time in the presence of their mother. When a Solar Home Lighting System finds its way into a rural home, the usually illiterate mother gracefully assumes the same responsibility.
With light there is hope of educating all young Indians!
A one time investment of Rs. 3950/- benefits a family, for generations to come. (And India too!)


BIOGAS PLANTS
These well known biogas plants, with proper construction and maintenance, serve as a clean and good fuel source for cooking and home lighting. The plant provides enough gas to cook two meals a day for a family of 7 to 8 members. The dung (slurry) later serves as organic fertilizer for the fields. WOTR strongly encourages the biogas plant connected to the household toilet. And it is found acceptable to people!


SOLAR HOME LIGHTS
The solar home lighting system is based on the latest technology of light Emitting Diodes (LED) powered by solar energy. Set up both at household and community level, it includes two bulbs with very good illumination enough for 5-6 hours during the night. Its battery needs to be replaced every year and this recurring cost is within the people's means.


BIOMASS STOVES
The biomass stove works on the principle of forced up-draft gassfier technology. Designed and developed in-house, it has minimum emission and a fuel efficiency of around 55%. Biomass pellets are manufactured from locally available agro-wastes.


A cleared land/reforested land
You know it is real: a 14 minutes film, "The story of a Painting" tells the tale of Narlewadi a small hamlet that is 100% dependent of clean renewable fuels for household needs.


Join hands with WOTR in helping India contribute to Mitigating Climate Change Cost of Products:

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Your contributions in whole or in part for the above is welcome.
Please make your contributions to Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR)
Email: info@wotr.org
Website: www.wotr.org