Watershed Organisation Trust

WOTR, or the Watershed Organisation Trust, is an NGO dedicated to fighting rural poverty in India. Established over three decades ago, WOTR works directly with local communities to restore degraded ecosystems and improve livelihoods. By focusing on sustainable practices in agriculture, water management, and health, WOTR empowers people to take control of their environments. They run programs that support women's empowerment, enhance nutrition, and build self-help groups to foster financial independence. With a hands-on approach, WOTR has positively impacted millions, transforming lives in over 7,000 villages across 10 states and creating vibrant and sustainable communities for a better future. Donate today to support sustainable agriculture and livelihoods for women, building healthier and more resilient communities.

Established in 1993, WOTR is an internationally recognised non-profit organisation and think tank that engages at the intersection of practice, knowledge and policy across scales and in collaboration with various stakeholders across sectors. WOTR’s goal is to ensure water and food availability, along with livelihoods and income security – to support the sustainable growth and well-being of vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in rural India.

WOTR has been working with rural communities in India for 3 decades now. As of September 2023, it has touched the lives of over 6.93 million across 7124 villages in 10 states of India – Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Karnataka. It has included participants from 63 countries in training and exposure programmes. On the ground over 2.64 million hectares of degraded landscapes/watersheds have been regenerated, over 158 billion litres of potential water harvesting capacity has been created and agriculture productivity has increased significantly with a 121% increase in area under triple cropping. Farm incomes in most project villages are 2 to 4 times more than those in control villages. Moreover, it has facilitated over  21,500 SHGs involving 2,52,829 women.