OAR@ICRISATPoverty reduction approach in South Asia: Rejuvenating centuries old water bodies to improve rural livelihoods, A case of Karnataka state, IndiaK VRajuauthorAGaurauthorS PWaniauthorSouth Asian countries are endowed with large numbers of village tanks, which serve as huge reservoirs. The inherent network of natural water streams and canals in the command areas connect these tanks to supply water to agricultural fields. People in the rural areas use these tanks to harvest and store monsoon rainwater for multiple uses which include agriculture, livestock, fishing, domestic use and recharge of domestic drinking wells. Most of these tanks were built between the 3rd century B.C.E. and the 12th century C.E. Later, improved designs were used to construct these tanks. Over the last few decades, several Indian states have made enormous efforts to rejuvenate these tanks by involving local user groups. This paper, reviews the traditional water bodies in South Asia, describes tanks and their dimensions in the Indian context and analyzes the community based approach adopted in the State of Karnataka in South India. It reviews the status, main components of design, execution, key achievements, impacts, benefits and critical lessons learnt.OthersWatershed Management2015ICRISATMonograph

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