BISLD is committed to promote sustainable livelihood of the rural poor. With an innovative and integrated approach to rural development and environmental conservation, the flexibility of the programmes enables BISLD to serve the most disadvantaged by addressing the specific needs of each family, village and local area. Community participation is the foundation of all the programmes.

Livestock Based Livelihoods: The Dairy Development Programme aims at improving the livestock breed through artificial insemination for enhanced production. The Dairy Development Programme aims at improving the livestock breed through artificial insemination for enhanced production. Promotion of goat husbandry and backyard poultry for landless, small and marginal farmers are another activity.

The key components are:

1. Genetic improvement of livestock through artificial insemination centres, each catering to a cluster of about 12-15 villages
2. Preventive health care and first aid services
3. Promotion of fodder production and feed management
4. Facilitation for developing value chains for both dairy and goat development programmes

Outreach:

Water Centric Livelihoods: Sustainable management of natural resources for viable development of community and ecosystem is the key aspect of this programme.

The projects under NRM include:

1. Watershed Development
2. Land scape Approach for resource management through convergence of resources
3. Region-specific innovative approaches for water resource management – arid, semi-arid, hill, ravine, Western Ghats, rain-rich areas
4. Promotion of efficient water use technologies
5. Silvipasture for conservation of wastelands and production of fodder
6. Promotion of non-conventional energy such as solar and bio-energy
7. A forestation, Industrial Greenbelt Development, Environmental Awareness
8. Forest-based livelihood
9. Climate change adaptation and mitigation

Outreach:

Agri Horti Forestry (wadi ): The Wadi programme, an integrated farming systems approach, includes horticulture and forestry tree species and crop diversification in the farming system. Emphasis is laid on promotion of fruit trees and indigenous and multipurpose forestry tree species to address the nutrition, fodder, timber and fuel wood requirements of the families, while improving their farm income. Appropriate initiatives are introduced for soil and water conservation as well as soil improvement. These initiatives have helped convert degraded lands into productive assets.

Other location-specific short gestation livelihood activities like agriculture improvement, small plot vegetable cultivation, floriculture and inland fishery-based initiatives have also been promoted along with tree-based farming.

Outreach:

Climate Action Programmes: Based on the Fodder development resource base of the families and the area, the projects are designed to create a source of sustainable livelihood in the farm. The projects are mainly implemented in the tribal and resource poor areas.

The main projects include:

1. Improved agricultural practices for enhanced production and income
2. Sustainable Multi-species Agricultural Resource-use Trials (SMART) for diversified and intensive farming in small plots
3. Climate smart agriculture
4. Organic farming
5. Sericulture
6. Agri-business through local people’s organisations

Health, Nutrition and Women Centric Development: This programme aims at improving the quality of life of the participant families through preventive health measures and development initiatives as given below:

1. Clean drinking water supply, sanitation, and hygiene
2. Mother and child health care
3. Empowerment of tribal healers
4. Agriculture-nutrition and   nutrition supplementation
5. Promotion of backyard gardens for better family nutrition
6. Women Empowerment through –
   • Promotion of Self-Help Groups of Women
   • Drudgery reduction technologies
   • Empowerment of women through micro- enterprises
   • Linkages for micro-finance
   • Literacy and education

A family with three milch animals earns an income of Rs. 60,000 – 75,000 per annum while a tribal family through Wadi (Agri-horti-forestry based livelihood) is able to earn Rs. 40,000 – 55,000 per year and come out of poverty. With the increase in cropping area by 20-30%, the watershed development programme generates year-round employment even for landless and increase in crop production by 35-60%. The quality of life of the community especially of women and children has increased with various health measures and development initiatives.