Restoring Livelihoods through Rainwater Harvesting and Community-Led Water Governance in Semi-Arid Eastern Rajasthan: Evidence from Karauli District

This paper presents an impact assessment of community-based rainwater harvesting (RWH) and soil and water conservation (SWC) interventions implemented between 2020 and 2023 in the Dang region of Karauli district, located in the semi-arid eastern part of Rajasthan. The interventions were implemented by Gram Gaurav Sansthan with corporate social responsibility support from the CSR of Dharampal Satyapal Limited Noida, and an independent evaluation was undertaken by researchers from IIHMR University. Using a mixed-method design that combined household surveys (n = 100), focus group discussions, key informant interviews, hydro-geological field verification, and geospatial land-use and land-cover (LULC) analysis, the study examined physical performance of water harvesting structures, groundwater recharge, agricultural productivity, livelihood outcomes, and institutional sustainability. The findings demonstrate that revival and construction of traditional structures such as tal, pokhar, pagara, and kunda significantly improved water availability, expanded irrigated and cultivable areas, strengthened community governance systems, enhanced farm and livestock incomes, reduced seasonal migration, and generated measurable gender and social inclusion benefits. The paper argues that combining traditional knowledge systems with scientific planning and community co-financing offers a replicable pathway for sustainable water resource management and livelihood resilience in semi-arid rural India.