Enhancing Groundwater Recharge and Sustainable Agriculture in the High-Relief Himalayan Micro-Watersheds of Bandipora, J&K

Watershed management is a critical strategy for addressing soil erosion, water scarcity, and declining agricultural productivity in high-relief Himalayan regions. This study evaluates the hydrological, agricultural, and spatial impacts of the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) implemented across five micro-watersheds in Bandipora district, Jammu 0.05). These percentage changes were calculated from combined mean values across the five study micro-watersheds, based on pre- and post-intervention monitoring datasets. Agricultural benefits included a 55% expansion in irrigated area, a 24% increase in crop productivity, and improved cropping intensity across study locations (p 0.01). Significant location and Time × Location interaction effects confirmed that intervention responses varied among micro-watersheds, reflecting differences in topography, land use, and baseline resource conditions. Regression analysis further demonstrated strong relationships between intervention density and hydrological as well as agricultural outcomes (R² = 0.54–0.62). The findings establish that integrated, spatially informed, and community-driven watershed management can substantially enhance water security, agricultural resilience, and ecosystem stability in fragile Himalayan landscapes, providing evidence for climate-resilient rural development strategies in mountainous regions