The watershed as an organizing principle for research and development: An evaluation of experience in the Andean Ecoregion

Watersheds are an attractive unit for development in mountainous landscapes . However, watershed analysis usually requires significantly more time, dat a and funds, and must include more actors, Also, results may be disappointi ng, Many off-site effects are very difficult to modify without major change s in land use systems, Frequently, these land use changes (eg more pasture or reforestation) pit soil conservation against rural employment. In other cases, sediment may not be originating on-farm, but primarily in other part s of the landscape, implying civil engineering rather than on-farm solution s. On the other hand, we have found that good maps and valid models are of growing interest to municipal authorities as they consider alternative deve lopment plans.