Natural Resource Management

Helping Communities Thrive

SRF Foundation has been working in the area of Natural Resource Management (NRM) since 2005, which is aimed at the livelihood promotion, ecological conservation and improvement in the socio-economic condition of poor and marginalized families living in the forty-two villages of the Tijara Block of Alwar district in Rajasthan. The scope of the project includes rainwater harvesting, wasteland restoration, large scale plantation, agricultural intervention, livestock promotion, micro enterprise development and community mobilization through women self-help and user groups.

Through this intervention, the SRF Foundation has benefited more than 6,800 farmer families.

Working in collaboration with NGO partners, namely PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action), Sir Syed Trust (SST), and SPACE (Society for Promotion and Conservation of Environment), along with the local community and Panchayats, this project has been operational for over a decade now.

To date, 204 earthen check dams (paals) have been constructed, covering 26,168 acres of catchment area. Additionally, 25.07 Mm³ of ground water has been recharged and 4,361 acres of wasteland has been levelled and put under productive agricultural use. Furthermore, more than 3.8 lakh surviving fruit and fodder trees have been planted, which has resulted in an increase of the income options for the rural poor.

Waste Land: Pre Intervention
Waste Land: Post Intervention

Impact of reforestation

More recently, the NRM project is focused on the integrated watershed development, which is currently under implementation in Rajasthan’s Tijara block covering the villages of Gwalda, Alupur, Milakpur Turk, Palpur, Sirohi Kalan, Kidarpur, Bagod, and others. The program encompasses various initiatives, including the construction of water harvesting structures such as Paals, conversion of privately owned wastelands into cultivable land, planting fruit and fodder trees and promoting the use of drip and sprinkler irrigation for water conservation in agriculture. With support from the community, the project has successfully replenished close to 25.07 Mm³ of water resources in the villages.