Women’s Participation in Natural Resource Management

In present time the concept of people’s participation in development programme has come to be accepted all over the world as a viable method for managing natural resources. The principal victims of the environmental degradation are the most underprivileged people and the majority of these are women. Their problems and those of the environment are very much inter-related. Watershed management in now a widely accepted technology for resource management in totality and coherently with people’s participation in a holistic manner. Women’s participation in watershed management is an important component of people participation in WSM.  This study is an attempt to explore the participatory role of women in watershed management. Focus is on how they are participating in WSM activities directly or indirectly and how the participation of women can be increased from their point of view. For this study a diagnostic survey was conducted on the basis of sample survey of five watersheds known as Sukhomajri, WSM, Relmajra WSM, Fakot WSM developed by Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Chandigarh and Dehradun, Chandrabadni and Danda WSM of Bhuvneshwari Mahila Ashram, NGO and Chandrabhaga WSM of State Govt. of Uttar Pradesh (now in Uttarakhand).  In this book, the author has been intimately involved with women of these WSM, tells the facts about the participation of women in WSM.