Soil degradation and water table depletion have become serious threats to lives and livelihoods of humanity across all the continents. India is no exception; in fact experiencing a distress scenario, more due to heavy population pressure. Drought prone areas of the country are the worst affected resulting in the loss of agriculture-based livelihoods. To arrest such degradation and depletion, several programmes and policy initiatives of soil and water/moisture conservation were undertaken, mostly in public lands, by Central and State Governments and Non-Governmental Organisations in India. Subject experts have analysed the impact of such programmes and policy initiatives. However, important issues that needed closer analysis is rather about the efforts and the impact of soil and moisture conservation initiatives undertaken in private farmlands, as agriculture-based livelihoods thoroughly depend on private farmlands. The present work mainly aims in delineating the soil and moisture conservation practices adopted in the farmlands by the cultivators and the State, understanding the gaps in those practices, and suggesting appropriate soil and moisture conservation measures and policy initiatives. This book also documents several of the indigenous soil and moisture conservation measures that remained within the cultivator families. Due to such in-depth coverage, this book serves as a toolkit for those who entered into the science of soil and moisture conservation afresh.

Prof. V. Reddappa Reddy had his Masters in Economics from Sri Venkateswara University and Ph.D. in Rural Development from Sri Krishnadevaraya University. After a brief stint in Government service, he joined the University in 1989, elevated as Professor of Rural Development in 1997, and retired from University service in 2016. Apart from occupying several administrative positions like Convenor, PECET, Convenor, SVURPGCET and Director, Directorate of Distance Education, he also served as Coordinator of Special Assistance Programme supported by the University Grants Commission. His areas of specialization include monitoring and evaluation, women empowerment, natural resources management and corporate social responsibility. He published five books and 35 of his papers appeared in national and international journals. He served as Consultant to different national and international agencies like Family Health International, CARE, CAPART, SERP and SOCHURSOD. Currently, he has been identified as National Resource Person (Grade-A) by National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj for undertaking Thematic Studies for DYL National Rural Livelihoods Mission being implemented by Government of India. Dr. G. Sankar Reddy secured his M.A. and Ph.D. in Rural Development from Sri Krishnadevaraya University. He served as a Project Fellow in University Grants Commission supported Special Assistance Programme in the Department of Rural Development and Social Work in Sri Krishnadevaraya University in the initial stages of his career. Later his services were utilised as Field Investigator by Centre for Economic and Social Studies in conducting two studies and twice by UltraTech in conducting Social Satisfaction Survey. Currently he is serving as a Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Associate at Accion Fraterna, Anantapurum.