Within Asia there has been a noticeable divergence in approach to watershed management. The watershed development projects in India, which have a strong rural development component and make use of the “ridge-to-valley” treatment, are in marked contrast to the hydrological and land cover approaches adopted in other parts of Asia.
The more recent interest in the ecosystem services that catchments provide has helped clarify the objectives of watershed management, particularly in the water towers of the Himalayas. While great advances have been made in the last 20 years, there is still great opportunity to develop further understanding of these upstream–downstream interactions and linkages. Equally important is the need to develop and sustain synergy and partnership among different communities of practice involved in watershed management, within Asia and beyond.
