Hydrological Characterization of Benchmark Agricultural Watersheds in India, Thailand, and Vietnam

Water is one of the most critical resource and constraint in the semi-arid tropics (SAT). To minimize land degradation and sustain crop productivity in the SAT, management and efficient utilization of rainwater is important. Watershed-based resource utilization involves the optimum use of the area’s precipitation for the improvement and stabilization of agriculture on the watershed through better water, soil, and crop management. More effective utilization of water for the production of crops can be facilitated by one or more of the following means: (i) in situ conservation of moisture; (ii) proper drainage, collection, storage, and re-utilization of runoff; and (iii) groundwater recovery from wells. For the proper development, conservation, and management of land and water resources, accurate information on surface and groundwater hydrology is crucial. Under the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-supported project on integrated watershed management we studied the hydrological behavior of benchmark agricultural watersheds in India, Thailand, and Vietnam. From the five benchmark watersheds, the information on topography, rainfall, runoff, groundwater, and other relevant data were collected and analyzed.