REWARD Programme (Agriculture)
REWARD Programme (Agriculture)
Why In News:
The National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA) and the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) are conducting a survey using Remote Sensing, GIS, drones and satellite mapping under the REWARD Programme to support watershed planning and soil-moisture assessment.
Source: PIB Today, 16 July 2026, 'Satellite & Drone Survey for Watershed Planning'
About the REWARD Programme
Full form: Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development - a World Bank-assisted programme being implemented (2021-2026) in Karnataka and Odisha.
Financing instrument: Uses the Program for Results (PforR) mechanism, under which the World Bank reimburses funds based on achievement of Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs), rather than conventional project financing.
The programme aims to build a Decision Support System (DSS) and a national web portal integrating Land Resources Inventory (LRI) data with hydrology data for evidence-based watershed planning.
Key Facts for Prelims
Rainfed agriculture covers about 51% of India's net sown area but contributes disproportionately to pulses and coarse cereal production, making watershed development critical for climate resilience.
Watershed Development Component (WDC-PMKSY 2.0) is the umbrella central scheme for area-based watershed treatment, distinct from but complementary to REWARD.
PMKSY-WDC 2.0 is a sub-component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) focused on conserving soil and water resources.
The updated PMKSY-WDC 2.0 has been implemented for the period 2021–2026 with improved targets and revised guidelines.
Its objective is to improve productivity of rainfed and degraded lands through integrated watershed management.
Targets: Cover 49.50 lakh hectares of degraded land during 2021–2026 and introduce springshed rejuvenation as a new activity under the scheme.