The aim of the study was to look at community-based water harvesting and watershed development initiatives, in order to assess the potential that these have of significantly augmenting water resources at the local level. Some well-known, "successful" cases are Ralegaon Siddhi, Sukhomajri and the Tarun Bharat Sangh. However, these are still largely looked upon as subsidiary to large-scale technocratic projects.

The study identified and analyzed factors and processes, which contribute to the success of such initiatives. Some of the central questions driving this research were:

• What is the potential that these initiatives have of significantly augmenting water at the local level?
• Can these be replicated under varying socio-political-legal and institutional contexts?
• What are the factors that contribute to the sustainability of an initiative?

The project was based on intensive primary research in selected cases/initiatives across the country and secondary research. Drawing on learning and findings gathered from a round of extensive preliminary visits spanning eight states in the country. A Consultation Workshop was held on September 27, 2001, at the India Habitat Center, Delhi, with renowned practitioners, academics and policymakers in the subject area.

The study comprised the following components:

• Formation of a multi-disciplinary team consisting of an economist, an ecologist, a sociologist to study such projects across the country
• In-depth field research in a few sites selected from the first round of exploratory visits
• Analysis of data and material collected during the second round of field-research, and presented as a report and series of papers for feedback from academics, policymakers and practitioners in workshops and conferences
• Production of a published document

The first phase of the study comprised preparation of a preliminary methodology of undertaking exploratory visits to selected sites/cases of successful watershed development across the country, including the development of a questioner.

In the second phase, three sites were selected for detailed investigation, namely the watershed development program in Hiwre Bazar in Maharashtra, the tank rehabilitation program undertaken by the DHAN Foundation in Tamil Nadu, and Rajiv Gandhi Watershed Mission in Madhya Pradesh.
In the third phase the collected data was analyzed. A draft report has been submitted to the Ford Foundation, and a copy is available with Winrock International India.