Land Degradation

The photograph in Figure 9.4 shows a stretch of common property resource (CPR) land in Jhabua district, Madhya Pradesh, after a watershed management programme had been implemented. The landscape is undulating but has been terraced or levelled — a clear sign of soil conservation work. Across this land, rows of young saplings and trees have been planted, evenly spaced, indicating a planned afforestation effort rather than natural regrowth.

The image is a black-and-white photograph, so there are no labels, arrows, or panels. What it captures is the direct outcome of the community-led watershed management described in the case study: degraded common land being restored through tree planting. The trees are still young, so the photograph documents an early stage of rehabilitation — the land is no longer barren, but the canopy is not yet closed.

This figure teaches a key lesson about land degradation and its reversal. Degradation of common property resources — often caused by overgrazing, deforestation, and unchecked use — can be halted and even reversed through collective action. The photograph shows that watershed management is not just about engineering structures (like check dams or contour bunds); it is equally about revegetating the land. The trees planted on CPRs serve multiple purposes: they bind the soil, reduce runoff, improve groundwater recharge, and eventually provide fuel, fodder, and small timber for the community.

The caption credits the Rajiv Gandhi Mission for Watershed Management, Government of Madhya Pradesh (2002), which ties the image directly to the successful Jhabua watershed programme. In the textbook text, the Petlawad block example mentions that each household planted and maintained one tree on the common property — the photograph likely shows the result of that very practice. The rows of saplings reflect the organised, participatory nature of the effort: not random planting, but a systematic approach where every family took responsibility. …

The photograph shows a group of villagers working together on a gently sloping open field. Several teams of bullocks or cattle are yoked to simple levelling implements, and men are guiding the animals across the land. The field is not fenced or divided into private plots — it is a common property resource (CPR), meaning it belongs to the community as a whole. The terrain appears slightly uneven, and the activity is clearly aimed at smoothing the surface so that water does not run off too quickly and soil erosion is reduced.

This image is set in Jhabua district, Madhya Pradesh, one of the most backward districts in India with a high concentration of Bhil tribal population. The caption credits the photograph to ASA (2004), which refers to an organisation or documentation source. The key point is that this is not government machinery or paid labour — it is community participation. The villagers have organised themselves voluntarily to improve land that belongs to everyone, not to any single farmer.

The figure directly supports the case study in the textbook. The text explains that watershed management programmes in Jhabua have succeeded because of community participation and government-NGO partnership. In Petlawad block, for instance, villagers planted trees on CPRs, grew fodder grass, and practised social fencing (no open grazing for two years). The photograph shows the very first step of such work: levelling the land so that rainwater can be captured and soil quality can improve. Without this levelling, water would run off the slope, carrying away topsoil and deepening the degradation.

What the figure teaches is that land degradation can be reversed through collective action. The problem — degraded common land — is not solved by individual farmers working alone, because no one owns the CPR. But when the entire community participates, even simple tasks like bullock-drawn levelling become powerful tools. The photograph also implies that the community has taken ownership: they are not waiting for the government to send bulldozers; they are using their own animals and labour.

Jhabua district is located in the westernmost agro-climatic zone in Madhya Pradesh. It is, in fact, one of the five most backward districts of the country. It is characterised by high concentration of tribal population (mostly Bhils). The people suffer due to poverty which has been accentuated by the high rate of resource degradation, both forest and land. The watershed management programmes funded by both the ministries of "Rural Development" and "Agriculture", Government of India, have been successfully implemented in Jhabua district which has gone a long way in preventing land degradation and improving soil quality. Watershed Management Programmes acknowledge the linkage between land, water and vegetation and attempts to improve livelihoods of people through natural resource management and community participation. In the past five years, the programmes funded by the Ministry of Rural Development alone (implemented by Rajiv Gandhi Mission for Watershed Management) has treated 20 per cent of the total area under Jhabua district.

The Petlawad block of Jhabua is located in the northernmost part of the district and represents an interesting and successful case of Government-NGO partnership and community participation in managing watershed programmes. The Bhils in Petlawad block, for example, (Sat Rundi hamlet of Karravat village) through their own efforts, have revitalised large parts of common property resources. Each household planted and maintained one tree on the common property. They also have planted fodder grass on the pasture land and adopted social-fencing of these lands for at least two years. Even after that, they say, there would be no open grazing on these lands, but stall feeding of cattle, and they are thus confident that the pastures they have developed would sustain their cattle in future. …