Aloysius P. Fernandez

MYRADA has been working on watershed development projects since 1984-85. Through its efforts it had developed a climate of trust and confidence at the field level. Peoples' institutions have emerged and stabilised at various degrees of successes because of these efforts. 

This book analyses the resons for the different degrees of success of these interventions, which includes experiences from projects where the government was involved with NGOs as well as those examples where the government was not involved.

This paper attempts to analyse the impact of several government guidelines related to watershed management on the People's institutions that have emerged in watershed programmes where NGOs have a role. 

This paper is a revised edition of a keynote for a Workshop organised by the India Canada Environment Facility in September 2003. It addresses several concerns and issues related to the practice of forming people's groups for natural resource management.