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The Uttarakhand Sustainable Land

and Ecosystem Management project —

applying integrated approaches

Mohamed Imam Bakarr, Jean-Marc Sinnassamy, Ulrich Apel,

and Andrew Chilombo, The Global Environment Facility

T

he Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded

Uttarakhand Sustainable Land and Ecosystem

Management (SLEM) project was linked to a

US$70 million World Bank aided decentralized watershed

management (UDWDP) with an additional government

contribution of almost US$17million.

The UDWDP was designed to improve the productive potential

of natural resources and increase incomes of rural inhabitants

in selected watersheds through socially inclusive, institution-

ally and environmentally sustainable practices. This foundation

for integrated management of natural resources in the water-

sheds served as a basis for the Uttarakhand SLEM project.

The GEF project aimed at the comprehensive treatment of

watersheds to restore and sustain ecosystem functions and

biodiversity while simultaneously enhancing income and

livelihoods. GEF resources were specifically targeted on 20

micro-watersheds, all of which were selected based on severity

of erosion, extent of poverty, and lack of infrastructure facili-

ties. The project generated valuable lessons learned on how

the environment and natural resource issues can be effectively

integrated across watersheds and how demonstrated success

can be scaled up and mainstreamed at state and national levels.

The Uttarakhand SLEM project used various approaches

and participatory processes toward building ownership at

multiple levels — from development and management of

Image: 0 Patrizia Cocca/GEF

A resource map in Katna, India: community participation is knowledge-sharing and is key to SLEM project interventions

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iving

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and