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This watershed devleopment project will seek to address the following needs of the poor, rural households in the Gopinatha betta watershed, northeast of Banglore: Overexploitation of groundwater (declining to as deep as 1500 ft), poor soil management and improper use of chemical fertilizers, low daily wages during non-agriculture season resulting in season migrations for labor, degraded common properties resources (e.g. forests, water) leading to decreased resiliency of farming systems.
The goal of this project is to improve livelihoods and strengthen the natural resource base for 4,189 poor and marginalized people in Gopinatha betta microwatershed (northeast of Bangalore) by undertaking soil and water conservation activities, supporting sustainable agriculture and improving animal husbandry.
The implementing organization is the well regarded Indian NGO, the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES). FES has already raised nearly $350,000 for this four year project which began a year ago. Rotary's commitment is $42,000 as agreed upon in two separate MOUs ($21,000 from the Rotary Club of Capitol Hill and partners in District 7620 and $21,000 from the Rotary Club of Uttarahali and District 3190). Rotarians in the Uttarahali club which is near the project area are providing oversight through site visits and are publicizing the ongoing watershed development work.
The Rotary Club of Capitol Hill is seeking funding partners to raise $11,000 to complete our commitment to this project.
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