Strengthening livelihood resilience in upper catchments of dry areas by integrated natural resources management

The Livelihood Resilience project evolved around the hypothesis that better integrated

management can improve the livelihoods of poor farming communities and increase the

environmental integrity and water productivity of upstream watersheds in dry areas. This

hypothesis was tested by researchers from different Iranian research and executive organizations

and farming communities in two benchmark research watersheds in upper Karkheh River Basin in

Iran, under the guidance of the ICARDA scientists. Participatory technology development, water,

soil, erosion, land degradation and vegetation assessments, livelihood, gender and policy analyses,

and integrated workshops delivered a set of principles for watershed management in dry areas.