The watershed as an organizing principle for research and development: An evaluation of experience in the Andean ecoregion

Watersheds are an attractive unit for development in mountainous landscapes. However, watershed analysis usually requires significantly more time, data and funds, and must include more actors. Also, results may be disappointing. Many off-site effects are very difficult to modify without major changes in land use systems. Frequently, these land use changes (e.g. more pasture or reforestation) pit soil conservation against rural employment. In other cases, sediment may not be originating on-farm, but primarily in other parts of the landscape, implying civil engineering rather than on-farm solutions. On the other hand, the authors have found that good maps and valid models are of growing interest to municipal authorities as they consider alternative development plans.