1 A Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Watershed Management Subha Vishnudas*, Hubert H.G. Savenije**, Pieter Van Der Zaag*** * Researcher, Water Resources Section, TU Delft, The Netherlands e-mail: subha_kamal@yahoo.com ** Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Water Resources Section, TU Delft, The Netherlands *** UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands Condensed abstract: This paper presents an analytical framework that helps to understand the different aspects and elements of sustainable watershed management and their interactions. Each element has been examined as to how it affects sustainability in relation to the other elements. The framework helps to reveal the important factors contributing to land and water management and the livelihood of the people. The framework outlined here should be applicable to watershed evaluation not only in Kerala in South India but also elsewhere in the world with similar situations. Key words: Sustainable Watershed, Conceptual Framework, India 1 INTRODUCTION Sustainable development was defined in ‘Our Common Future’ in the Brundtland report of the World Commis- sion on Environment and Development (1987) as “development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Subsequently many authors have replaced the term sustainable development for specific development activities like sustainable agriculture, sustainable forestry, sustainable energy development, etc. A development may or may not become successful in the implementation stage, if each development has been considered independently. But, for sustainability, all the different aspects of development are to be considered simultaneously. For this an integrated approach is essential to attain sustainability. Through this framework an attempt is being done to integrate different aspects for the sustainability in watershed management. The United Nations Environment Programme observed that “the intensified and unsustainable demand for land, water, marine and coastal resources resulting from the expansion of agriculture and uncontrolled urbanisa- tion leads to increased degradation of natural ecosystems and erode the life supporting systems that uphold hu- man civilisation. Caring for natural resources and promoting their sustainable use is an essential response of the world community to ensure its own survival and well-being” (UNEP 1996). EUSTON & WILLIAM (1995), “inter- pret sustainability broadly to mean a condition in which natural systems and social systems survive and thrive together indefinitely. Sustainability represents a distinctly contemporary imperative, stemming from persistent, unfulfilled claims of solidarity and justice, a deepening understanding of the interrelatedness of life, and the stark realities of the destruction of nature. Today it becomes a basic human responsibility to ensure that both natural and human systems are sustained in a condition of health-for the sake of earth and people”. Many research organisations and individuals have defined sustainability with regard to development in agri- culture, forestry, land management etc. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (TAC/CGIAR 1988 cited in: PRINZ 1998) states that sustainable agriculture is the successful management of resources of agriculture to satisfy changing human needs while maintaining or enhancing the quality of the envi- ronment, conserving natural resources. According to BRUENIG (1996), sustainable management of forests should aim at forest structures which keep the rainforest ecosystems as robust, elastic, versatile, adaptable, resistant, resilient and tolerant as possible; canopy openings should be kept within the limits of natural gap formation; stand and soil damage must be minimised; felling cycles must be sufficiently long and tree marking so designed that a selection forest canopy structure and a self regulating stand table are maintained without, or with very little, silvicultural manipulation; production of timber should aim for high quality and versatility. The basic prin- ciple is to mimic nature as closely as possible to make profitable use of the natural ecosystem dynamics and adaptability, and reduce costs and risks. HURNI et al. (1996): cited in HURNI (2000) defines sustainable land management as a system of technologies and/or planning that aims to integrate ecological with socio-economic and political principles in the management of land for agricultural and other purposes to achieve intra and inter- generational equity. For a watershed to be sustainably utilised, sustainability of land, agriculture and forest are to be considered. Therefore sustainable watershed management may be defined as “the management of a watershed system with sustainable technological options, which may ensure the sustainability of land, agriculture and forestry or its combinations to conserve natural resources, with adequate institutional and economic options”. ICID 21st European Regional Conference 2005 - 15-19 May 2005 - Frankfurt (Oder) and Slubice - Germany and Poland