Area development programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) like the Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), Drought Prone Area Programme (DDP) and Integrated Wasteland Development Programme (IWDP) has been following the watershed development approach since 1995-96 with the first watershed development guidelines coming into force..

With the coming into effect of the new Common Guidelines, 2008, the individual Watershed Development Programmes have been merged together to form one comprehensive programme, namely, Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP).

The main aims of the IWMP are to restore the ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing degraded natural resources such as soil, vegetative cover and water. The outcomes are prevention of soil run-off, regeneration of natural vegetation, rain water harvesting and recharging of the ground water table. This enables multi-cropping and the introduction of diverse agro-based activities, which help to provide sustainable livelihoods to the people residing in the watershed area.

Gujarat is among the front runners in the country in taking up new projects. The Government of India has sanctioned 151 watershed projects covering 7.08 lakh hectares involving more than Rs. 930 crores. To manage the IWMP at state level, Gujarat State Watershed Management Agency has been established.