Massive community mobilization
127 watershed associations and committees, over 10,270 user groups and more than 7,340 SHGs formed — a vast network of community institutions.
Integrated watershed development programme (IWDP)
A government-sponsored watershed scheme delivered by Coodu Trust across seven districts of Tamil Nadu — conserving soil, water and biomass to restore ecological balance and sustain rural livelihoods.
126
Watersheds active in 2003–2004
7
Districts covered
10,270+
User groups formed
7,340+
Self-help groups formed
The project
Treating whole watersheds — land, water and people together
Project mission
A government-sponsored scheme for holistic watershed development, focusing on conserving essential natural resources like soil, water and biomass to restore ecological balance and create sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The Integrated Watershed Development Programme (IWDP) was implemented by Coodu Trust from 2001 to 2005 in partnership with government agencies, rolled out across seven districts — Dindigul, Karur, Madurai, Theni, Trichy, Tirunelveli and Sivagangai. During the 2003–2004 period the programme was active in 126 watersheds across those 7 districts, with the Dindigul work concentrated in the Shanarpatty and Vedasandur blocks.
Everything ran through a three-tiered governance structure: the initial phase (2001–2002) formed 127 Watershed Associations and Committees, over 10,270 User Groups and more than 7,340 Self-Help Groups — a vast network of community institutions serving the rural resource-poor, farmers and other community members.
IWDP was one strand of Coodu Trust's wider integrated watershed development work: across all phases (2001–2005), the complete programme covered 227 watersheds in 12 districts of Tamil Nadu.
- Community institutions
- Rainwater harvesting
- Holistic watershed treatment
- Sustainable livelihoods
Why this work matters
The challenge on the ground — and our answer
The challenge
Shared resources with no one to manage them
A watershed belongs to everyone and no one — without local institutions, the rural resource-poor and farmers have no organised way to govern the land and water they depend on.
Our response
Community mobilization at massive scale
A three-tiered governance structure — 127 watershed associations and committees, over 10,270 user groups and more than 7,340 SHGs — backed by training and exposure visits.
The challenge
Rain that runs off instead of soaking in
Where rainfall is not held on the land, soil washes away, groundwater keeps falling and the productivity of whole watershed areas degrades year on year.
Our response
Structures that hold every drop
Check dams, percolation tanks and low-cost farm ponds — rainwater harvesting structures that conserved water and recharged groundwater levels across the treated watersheds.
At a glance
The essentials
- Scheme
- IWDPIntegrated Watershed Development Programme — a government-sponsored scheme with Coodu Trust as lead implementing agency, partnered with government agencies
- Period
- 2001–2005Core initiative, successfully completed
- Coverage
- 7 districtsDindigul (Shanarpatty & Vedasandur blocks), Karur, Madurai, Theni, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Sivagangai
- Scale
- 126 watershedsVerified 2003–2004 data: 30 in Dindigul (3,000 user groups, 1,250 SHGs) and 96 across the remaining districts (7,270 user groups, 6,090 SHGs)
- Beneficiaries
- Rural resource-poorFarmers and other community members, organised through 10,270+ user groups & 7,340+ SHGs
- Part of
- Watershed portfolioAcross all phases (2001–2005) the complete programme covered 227 watersheds in 12 districts of Tamil Nadu
Outcomes
What the project changed
Integrated resource management
Holistic watershed treatment on the ground — rainwater harvesting structures that conserved water and recharged groundwater levels.
Ecological balance & livelihoods
By treating entire watershed areas, IWDP worked to restore ecological balance, improve land productivity and create sustainable livelihoods for the rural resource-poor.
Get involved
Support watershed development
Join us in treating whole watersheds — conserving soil, water and biomass while building the community institutions that keep the gains alive across Tamil Nadu.