WATERSHED-MANAGEMENT - CHANGES IN ANIMAL POPULATION-STRUCTURE, INCOME, AND CATTLE MIGRATION, SHIWALIKS, INDIA

The impact of integrated watershed management on composition of cattle population, cattle migration, fodder production, feed availability, a nd village economy has been assessed in a typical Shiwalik foothill vi llage in northern India. The village derived 54% of its total income f rom animal husbandry, 33% from agriculture and the rest from off-farm activities. The number of buffaloes and cows increased whereas the num ber of goats decreased over a 7-year period between 1983/84-1990/91. P eople's participation played a significant role in increasing the prod uctivity of arable and nonarable land on a sustainable basis. The avai lability of green fodder, dry fodder and concentrates increased by 144 %, 56% and 95%, respectively, on completion of the project. However, t he gap between need and availability did not narrow significantly beca use of the change in livestock composition. Cows continued to migrate to other places in search of fodder and water whereas buffalo migratio n decreased from 87% to 36% after the program. The villagers gained 25 % of their total income from migrating animals, which help to reduce i ncome inequalities among the families.