Field Visit - NZ Style

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to join Landcare Research colleagues James and Suzie and drive around the Hurunui and Waiau catchment that I am modeling for work. It was a great experience, as not only did I get to verify that the data that I have is correct (mostly correct, that is), but I also got a detailed look at farming and livestock practices in New Zealand. It's a bit different than the US, as almost all dairy, beef, and sheep operations are pastoral grazing (not many feedlots here), and most of the irrigation goes to pasture and not crops. Here are some photos from the field visit. Note the diversity in landscape across the catchment, as it ranges from flat plains to very hilly terrain.



Additionally, here is a map where all of the photos were taken within the catchment.

Back to the Field!

Greetings from the way back seat of a SUV as we head back to Bisnal village on the final day of our week long field visit in north Karnataka (writing on iPhone... Gotta love modern technology). The purpose of these visits have been to conduct monitoring and evaluation of the Government of India funded community watershed development program. This involves traveling for hours on windy and bumpy roads to relatively remote areas and then doing some surveys and group discussions with local farmers and then walking all over the village and fields to verify that the government claimed projects were actually implemented. The trip has had some successes and we have witnessed several structures that are supposed to prevent soil and water runoff, but it is also apparent that more can be done.

The roads are too bumpy to write more now, so stay tuned for additional info and pictures. -A

Finally Getting Out to the Field

Last Friday I had the opportunity to join Dr. SR Hiremath (shown above), the director of Dharwad-based NGO Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS), to check out an ongoing afforestation project on more than 350 acres of land in the southwest portion of the Haveri District (directly south of Hubli-Dharwad). SPS has linked local workers, local leaders, and the Karnataka State Forest Department together to develop this project. Currently there are more than 40 workers from nearby villages who re supervised by local leaders and paid using funds provided by the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)*.

All of the species planted here are native to this region of Karnataka, and all of the seedlings were provided by the State Forest Department. SPS worked with the Forest Department to choose the species and verify that each sapling is at least one year old. Doing so ensures that the trees have a high probability of maturing and thriving in this environment. Dr. Hiremath explained that obtaining these native species from the local nursery was an accomplishment, as the Forest Department generally plants non-indigenous trees like Eucalyptus that is sold directly to the pulp and timber industry. Planting native species also provides more fodder for local livestock and biomass that can be used for firewood.

I found the visit to be very insightful, and was interested to learn how NREGA could be used not only to build local roads and schools, but also for ecological restoration. SPS is active in many of these initiatives, and regularly works with communities to connect their need to work with the organization’s goal of improving the environment. The key, Dr. Hiremath said, is that the locals understand that the citizens know that although NREGA gives them a right to work, it is also their responsibility to demand that the local leaders provide them with the proper work as well.

*NREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to any rural household whose adult members are willing to participate in unskilled manual work. It has been heralded as important step towards realization of the right to work and arresting out-migration of rural households in search of employment while simultaneously enhancing people’s livelihood on a sustained basis, by developing the economic and social infrastructure in rural areas. Specifically, it aims to generate productive assets, protect the environment, empower rural women, and limit rural-urban migration by addressing chronic poverty, drought, deforestation, soil erosion and other forms of natural resource management.