SAMUHA is one of the three partner NGO's of the Indo-Swiss Participative Watershed Project Karnataka, ISPWDK. Watershed development projects adopted new approaches recently: After technical interventions to improve the natural resource base of watersheds, socio-economic interventions with the aim of improving people's livelihoods have gained importance. Such livelihood approaches were developed and described by various development agencies. Thrift- or women's self-help groups (SHG) are an integral part of such interventions. In ISPWDK phase I (1995-1999) many such groups were formed. Next to savings- and loan management activities, these groups became the focal points of small enterprise development, promoted by the NGO's but often started on SHG loans. SAMUHA has set up MUNJAVU to support and facilitate not only the formation and administration of SHG's, but also to initiate larger, more organized livelihood promotion schemes. These are looked at, with a focus on home-shopping as their pilot intervention under ISPWDK. In order to do this, the livelihood approaches of DFID, CARE, UNDP and RLS/NADEL/SDC (Nine Square Mandala) were described and compared, while in the field and later for analysis mainly the RLS mandala was used.

The author has found that watershed development combined with a focus on livelihood promotion brought a significant improvement in many people's livelihood strategies. Assets were created, knowledge and skills of people improved, communal cooperation and organization networks created, and above all the natural resource base is being improved by watershed development. However, some crucial points are highlighted by the people themselves: The people on the margins of societies, discriminated and poor, are left out of these development efforts. They have not benefited, and they do not participate on any level. Local needs and strategies are hard to assess, take into account and improve, ultimately. Migration is a common and widespread coping strategy of marginalized groups of the watersheds. This complex aspect of people's lives in semi-arid Karnataka is not fully understood, valued and taken into account by the project. There are various forms of migration, definitely some of which are harmful, but also with immense economic gains. It is their manner of coping with unemployment and food insecurity. To work with these migrating communities is a future challenge with immense opportunities for SAMUHA, or any agency working in the area.

Minor examples are shown where the chosen livelihood interventions meet different local strategies and will have to be reconciled. One example is the marketing and sales schemes trained by MUNJAVU in home-shopping, which contradicts the people's local barter and credit system. It is also argued that many such interventions are not really participatory in nature, but that is regarded as the very task of an NGO: to propose and facilitate new schemes and activities since the same outlook, knowledge and experience can not be gained by local people. They simply lack the opportunities and means, which is why such livelihood interventions were coming up in the first instance. The many case studies and portraits speak for themselves and should provoke thoughts regarding the questions: Does watershed development meet people's needs and perceptions? Does it contribute to improve their livelihoods? All of MUNJAVU's activities combined provide an intelligent, promising livelihood promotion framework. The main challenge is handing over this whole intricate system to the people and make it sustainable without NGO support.

The ISPWDK project document states that "More emphasis will be given to indigenous knowledge and low cost & appropriate conservation measures, income generation through intensification and diversification of production and livelihood promotion amongst resource poor households whereby addressing equity and gender issues". The author concludes that yes, livelihoods are promoted and no, the most resource poor households are not reached and gender and equity remain a challenge. Watershed Development as it is at present might simply not be the appropriate project design to achieve such objectives. Taking into consideration that many agencies face the same challenge, ISPWDK has a great opportunity to be at the forefront of such medium and long term change of development philosophies and approaches, and the author strongly feels that actors on all levels are trying hard to meet this challenge! The last few years have brought a tremendous treasure of knowledge, skills and learnings. These improved human resources will be the foundation of any future development projects, be it of MUNJAVU, SAMUHA or ISPWDK.

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