TERI Hosts Training on Climate Resilient Integrated Watershed Management in Collaboration with SLNA, Government of Uttar Pradesh
New Delhi, March 18, 2025: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in association with the State Level Nodal Agency (SLNA), Watershed Development Component under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana 2.0 (WDC - PMKSY 2.0), Government of Uttar Pradesh, organized a training programme on Climate Resilient Integrated Watershed Management. The one-day event, held in New Delhi, aimed to enhance the capacities of participants with cutting-edge technologies and the best practices necessary for implementing climate-resilient watershed management strategies.
Experts highlight innovative approaches for water security and rural livelihoods in a one-day training under PMKSY 2.0
Shri Nitin Khade, Joint Secretary, Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, delivered the inaugural address. “The most crucial task is to transform the watershed programme into a mass movement. A good example of this is how the Watershed Yatra was successfully organized. Under WDC-PMKSY 1.0, it is most important to repair the structures built under the water conservation fund,” remarked Shri Khade.
Dr Dipankar Saharia, Senior Director, TERI, in a welcome address, spoke about the importance of watershed management. He said, “TERI executed the first watershed project in 2000 and learnt that through watershed management the socio-economic quotient of the community is uplifted.”
Dr Heera Lal, CEO, WDC-PMKSY 2.0, Parti Bhumi Vikas Vibhag, Government of Uttar Pradesh, delivered the keynote address. “Climate change is urgent and time sensitive. When we combine knowledge capital with financial and social capital, we can bring amazing change.” He said, “We have two mothers: one who gave us life, and the other is, ‘Jal, Jungle, and Zameen’ – water, forest, and land. We need to nurse and nurture our second mother like our biological mother to mitigate climate change.”
Prof Roopinder Oberoi, Professor and Fellow at the Delhi School of Public Policy & Governance, IoE, University of Delhi, founder CISE, said, “The practical knowledge of ground workers and farmers needs to be shared with all of us, and with other communities. We must move beyond viewing water simply as water and treat it as a precious commodity and resource.” Furthermore, she explained the Model Gaon Project as an example of inspirational villages.
Mr Anushman, Director, TERI, gave the Vote of Thanks for the inaugural session. “The collective commitment towards restoring our water resources is laudable. Water and land are the very backbone of our agri-economy. We need a smart water management system to increase our agricultural productivity and food security and mitigate climate change,” he added.
The programme featured four comprehensive technical sessions covering crucial aspects of climate-resilient watershed management. The technical sessions covered key aspects of climate-resilient integrated watershed management. Discussions focused on agroforestry as a nature-based solution, integrating climate-smart practices in watershed management, leveraging IoT and AI along with drone system for futuristic water monitoring, and promoting micro-irrigation and water conservation in agriculture and watershed management. Experts shared insights on optimizing natural resources, enhancing community participation, and implementing sustainable farming practices to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
The training programme reinforced the role of capacity building in advancing watershed development under PMKSY 2.0. By equipping stakeholders with innovative strategies and technologies, the initiative aims to drive long-term environmental sustainability and enhance rural livelihoods.