Watershed Development and Health: Study of Child Nutrition in Rural Semi-arid Region

Book Details:

• Author: Apoorvaa Pandit

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 2012

• ISBN: 9788131605448

• Pages: 208

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches

About the Book
Watershed development plays a critical role in restoring degraded ecosystems, especially in India's rural semi-arid regions. While its economic and social impacts are widely acknowledged, its influence on community health—particularly child nutrition—remains underexplored. This pioneering book bridges that gap by examining how integrated watershed development, when combined with health-focused interventions, can significantly transform a community’s health culture.

Focusing on the nutritional status of children, the book explores whether improvements in land, water, and agriculture also reflect positively in health metrics. It offers a contextual analysis of village development and child well-being, making it a vital resource for:

• Development practitioners

• Policy makers

• Researchers

• Academics in public health, nutrition, and rural development

By connecting environmental regeneration with community health, this book makes a valuable contribution to the fields of applied anthropology, development studies, and public policy.

About the Author
Apoorvaa Pandit, an anthropologist by training, is the Principal Research Investigator for the Nutrition Study at the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), Knowledge Management Unit, Pune. Her research focuses on tribal culture, rural development, social change, and community health. Her notable works include Watershed Development Inputs and Social Change and Tribal Culture and Technology.

Dipak Zade, co-researcher, holds a Master’s in Anthropology from Pune University and works as Senior Researcher at WOTR. His focus is on climate change adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and food security in semi-arid rural India.