Development of Humane Action (DHAN) Foundation is a professional development organization working in field of livelihoods and development, promoting institutions to reach scale and human resource development. The goal of the project is conservation and development of water and agricultural ecosystems in the selected villages of Nassandra watershed located in Magadi block of Bangalore Rural District. The area is mainly dependent on monsoon receiving less than 40 days of rain in a year. The six tanks present in the area are deteriorating due to negligence. Overgrazing and overexploitation has threatened rainwater harvesting and conservation resulting in a serious threat to the biodiversity. The project aims to contribute to sustainable development in the area by enhancing agricultural production and local environmental security through conservation and development of agriculture and wetland ecosystems. It will benefit around 750 farm families living in 10 small villages. The specific objectives of the project are:
? To promote sustainable People?s Organizations around various thematic activities and networking among them
? To enhance availability of water for agriculture, livestock, domestic uses and ground water recharges by rehabilitation and maintenance of the existing tanks
? To develop new water harvesting structures to compliment the existing tank structures and to enhance ground water resources.

The objectives will be achieved through building and restoring water harvesting structures, conserving the forest species and developing institutions for managing common property resources. The projected outputs of the project are:
? 17 people-based, self-sustaining organizations, which will be able to build ownership among the community will be built
? Agriculture will be gainful and sustainable in 450 hectares of land served by the tanks. The yields from the tank-irrigated wetlands will be stabilized and productivity will raise up to 30% in the 185.5 hectares of tank fed area
? The wetland ecosystem comprising of six tanks having a water-spread of 102.35 hectares with around 10 km channels will be restored
? 6 local savings and credit SHGs of women with bank linkages will be established. Around Rs.2.5 lakhs of credit will flow through the groups for the poor women.