A watershed is synonymous to catchment area and it is an independent Hydrological unit. It can be defined as the drainage basin or catchment area of particular stream or river. Simply stated it refers to the area from where the water to a particular drainage system, like a river or stream, comes from. A watershed may be small, consisting of a few hectares or huge, covering several thousands of hectares.
Watershed development refers to the conservation, regeneration, and the judicious use of human and natural (like land, water, plants, animals) recourses within a particular watershed. Watershed development attempts to bring about the best possible balance in the environment between natural resource on one side and man and grazing animals on the other. It requires people’s participation because conservation is possible only through the whole hearted involvement of the entire community.
