Survival Lessons Water Management Traditions in the Central-Western Himalayas

India is home to fantastic water harvesting traditions that have evolved over millennia. The central western Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are no exceptions to these traditions. The present review describes a variety of water harvesting structures found in this region. It highlights their features with reference to specific structures. Traditionally, local communities exercised rights of ownership, use and management over their natural resources. They devised a variety of management systems suited to their own specific situation. Examples of innovative management systems are cited for traditional farmer managed irrigation systems.