What is watershed management?

It is impossible to imagine life without water. Our survival depends on it. Although you are most definitely aware of water’s importance, you may not be aware that it is getting more and more scarce around the world.

Some 2.2 billion people don’t have access to safely managed drinking water, and the effects of global warming such as rising temperatures and declining rainfall put even more stress on water supplies.

However, experts and engineers have a way to control and solve this problem through watershed management. Watershed management has a big impact on the environment, but before going into detail, it is best to start with the most basic question, “What is watershed management?”

A watershed is an area of land where groundwater, rainfall, and snow melt drains down to a single point like a stream, lake, or ocean. It is similar to a big funnel that drains down to one spot. Watershed management, on the other hand, is the process of how land-use practices and natural resources are used. Watershed management has proved to be useful in Wankute, India where local people had to import tankers for water before the water management project.

This process can also be quite helpful for the rest of the world in solving drought problems. A considerable amount of people in the world do not have access to clean water and climate change only makes things worse.

Watershed management tools can thankfully help natural resource managers, planners, and landowners make better-informed decisions about how to manage our surroundings. If you would like to know more about watershed management, be sure to watch this video!

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