WIRFP was initiated in 1993 with the overall goal of reducing poverty in rainfed areas of India. The purpose of the project is to enhance the livelihoods of poor people in selected areas of Western India through appropriate technologies and approaches. It is anticipated that the programme would impact on the lives of roughly 675,000 people (logframe appended). The project is supported by the UK Department for International Development - India (DFIDI).

The first phase (Phase I) of the project was implemented by KRIBHCO from 1993 to 1999, in three districts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Phase I focused on learning from interventions in natural resources and livelihoods of poor people. The lessons learned were used in scaling up of the project in Phase II, with an emphasis on the promotion of sustainable livelihoods and farming systems development;Enhancing dissemination through partnership and Participatory Technology Development.

Under Phase I, 75 villages were covered and these are known as the Core Villages (see table 1). In Phase II, 1237 villages are being covered, in seven Districts of Madhya Pradesh (Jhabua, Dhar & Ratlam) Gujarat (Dahod & Panchmahal), Rajasthan (Banswara & Dungarpur). Out of these 202 Core villages are receiving financial support from the project. A further 535 villages are being scaled up to becoming Dissemination Villages with community resources.

Project components and approaches:

The main components of the project are:

Component A: Farming System Development – Expanding Project interventions, activities to 202 core project villages (where these activities will be concentrated) and 500 proximal villages (where dissemination shall take place), thus bringing substantial livelihood benefits to about 5,60,000 rural poor.

Component B: Promoting Dissemination through Partnership – Project technologies to another 500 villages via GOs, NGOs, PRIs and CBOs in the region (thus benefiting at least another 4,10,000 rural poor) and to selected organizations within the country.

Component C: Participatory Technology Development – by facilitating links between government research institutes and project communities, especially poor.