Why in news? Observing the Karnataka’s performance in the implementation of the Rejuvenating Watershed for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD) scheme, the World Bank has decided to get agricultural officers from Sub-Saharan countries to visit the State to learn from its experience.

Highlights

• Karnataka’s model could help Sub-Saharan countries that are reeling under food crisis
• The scheme basically emphasis on developing science-based watershed model and climate-resilient agricultural practices
• Land Resource Inventory will have details on the appropriate measures to be taken for different types of land with respect to agriculture, groundwater, crop, and soil health, among other issues
• State has already set up a Centre for Excellence in Watershed Management( located on the GKVK campus of the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru) to train officers from different States on watershed-related aspects.

About REWARD(‘Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agriculture Resilience through Innovative Development)

• It will be implemented in twenty-one rainfed districts of Karnataka using Watershed Development Component -PMKSY scheme
• Project Partner: IBRD contribution for 5 years
• Aim : Proposes World bank contribute to government of Karnataka  in saturating the watershed development interventions in remaining Micro-Watersheds in these 11(Bidar, Gulbarga, Yadgir, Koppal, Gadag, Davangere/ Bellary, Chamrajnagar, Bijapur, Chikkamangalur, Raichur and Tumkur) districts
• It also to creates Land Resource Inventory (LRI) data set for another 8-9 districts
• Under the program, Karnataka has also been identified ‘lighthouse’ state that will enable knowledge exchange and provide capacity building support to other states for implementation