The name of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute (CSWCRTI) has been changed to ICAR–Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (ICAR-IISWC) since January 2015.
With the roots of its foundation in 1954, the institute has been functionin as a unified research institute under ICAR with headquarters at Dehradun since 1974 and a national mandate to tackle problems of soil-water conservation and promote Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) through various modes of research and extension.
With eight research centres across the country- Agra, Bellary, Chandigarh, Datia, Koraput, Kota, Udhgamandalam and Vasad besides headquarter in Dehradun, it has been serving the nation through need-based research, training and consultancies on soil and water conservation, NRM and IWM issues. The institute with multi-disciplinary scientists, modern and farm-based research paraphernalia in multi-locations functions under six broad research programmes to address soil and water conservation, NRM, IWM, watershed based development of farming, forestry, horticulture, fisheries, animal husbandry, livelihood avenues, socio-economic and human resource development in the whole Indian sub-continent.
The institute has evolved many technologies and strategies for controlling land degradation and special problems such as ravines, landslides, mine spoils and torrents, water harvesting and recycling technologies, conservation agriculture and agro-forestry, technologies for agriculture based livelihood avenues. It has pioneered Integrated Watershed Management and developed successful watershed models in Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
The research and training experience of the institute has been recognised by various stakeholders of natural resources and it caters to the needs of resource conservation, improved agriculture and rural development that are being promoted by Government of India, State Governments and many international organisations.
Considering the importance, scope and achievements of ICAR-CSWCRTI, the ICAR has revised the name of the institute as ICAR-IISWC since January 2015 to address comprehensive issues of NRM through research and extension including higher education. The ICAR-IISWC director Dr PK Mishra and employees of the institute have assured the nation and farming community to provide continued and augmented service for tackling the problems of soil-water conservation, NRM, IWM etc.
