Across India's rainfed regions, communities face a stark reality: over 40 years of cumulative government investment on watershed development amounts to less than half of annual fertiliser subsidy. Yet these areas, home to millions of smallholder farmers, farm workers, women, and tribal communities, hold immense potential for transformation.
WASSAN (Watershed Support Services and Activities Network) was formed in 1996 as a network of civil society organisations interested in Participatory Watershed Development Programs to build capacities of multiple actors involved, innovate on processes and provide a policy interface with Government to strengthen watershed development. What began as a collaborative effort has evolved into a powerhouse for change.
Since its inception in 1999 and based in Hyderabad, WASSAN has worked intensively in four states and engages extensively through networks in another ten states. The organisation's scale speaks to its impact: with an annual turnover of approximately ₹40 crores and a dedicated team of over 400 staff across various locations. WASSAN's vision centres on empowering communities dependent on rains for their existence by strengthening watershed development, fostering prosperity, and ensuring ecological security. This mission extends far beyond agriculture. Their intensive work spans watershed development, natural farming, backyard poultry systems, and innovative farm machinery including mobile solar carts and pull-type sprayers that reduce women farmers' drudgery.
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WASSAN, on LinkedIn
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The organisation's approach combines ground-level implementation with policy advocacy. As a partner with the Government of Odisha, WASSAN actively engages in special programmes promoting millets in tribal areas across 76 blocks in 14 districts. WASSAN plays a pivotal role as lead Resource Support Organisation in the Andhra Pradesh Community Management Natural Farming Programme, engaging with approximately 4,000 families in tribal areas and drylands.
Innovation drives WASSAN's methodology. The organisation anchors the national Network Hub of the Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network and serves as Secretariat for the National Coalition on Natural Farming. Their programs integrate traditional knowledge with modern approaches, from revitalising backyard poultry with indigenous breeds in 15,000 households to establishing processing units and facilitating market linkages through farmer collectives.
WASSAN's work demonstrates tangible impact: supporting programs that generate ₹1 lakh income per household for 1,000 families in Andhra Pradesh villages whilst developing self-sufficient ecosystems reliant on fisheries and backyard poultry. Through collaborative networks and evidence-based interventions, WASSAN continues transforming how India's rainfed communities access prosperity and ecological security.
