162 Protec ting Watersheds
There are many ways to make improvements to living conditions that will
not damage the watershed, helping it to remain healthy for people now and in
the future.
• Make sure water supply and sanitation projects are well managed
for the benefit of local communities and the environment
(see Chapters 6 and 7).
• Work to keep the forests healthy (see Chapter 10).
• Plant crops using sustainable methods to keep farmland rich
and fertile (see Chapter 15).
• Get rid of waste safely and create less of it
(see Chapters 18 and 19).
• Build houses, roads, and settlements so as not to change the
natural flow of water through a watershed or cause erosion,
and so they are protected from seasonal flooding.
Benefits of protecting a watershed
Protecting a watershed often
involves settling disputes over
land, marking clear boundaries,
developing plans for the flow of
water, making agreements among
neighbors about the use of land and
water, and gathering and sharing
the resources necessary to do the
work.
In many communities, these
are not easy projects. Local and
regional governments may become
involved in settling disputes —
sometimes for better, sometimes
for worse.
When communities work to protect their
watersheds, there is more water for everyone.
But if people can work together to protect the watershed, it will mean
having more water. Since water scarcity causes or worsens conflicts,
having more water will improve relations among people as well as protect
community health.
Some benefits of protecting a watershed are:
• more and cleaner water in wells and springs.
• better crop yields, even during dry times.
• healthier livestock.
With more water, more crops are produced. This increases people’s incomes,
making them less likely to leave their homes in search of work.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012