Watershed management concept – UGC NET Question

Watershed management focuses on the holistic development of a drainage basin by coordinating land use,water conservation and vegetation cover. Its objectives include reducing soil erosion,improving water availability and supporting livelihoods. The stem clearly describes this integrated management within a defined drainage area. Therefore watershed management is the correct term.

Option A:
Watershed management treats the entire catchment as a single ecological and socio economic unit. By aligning interventions across land,water and vegetation,it enhances long term productivity. This matches precisely the integrated approach mentioned in the question.

Option B:
Monoculture farming is the practice of growing only one crop species over a large area. It can degrade soils and reduce resilience if not managed carefully. It is not an integrated land water vegetation management strategy in a drainage basin.

Option C:
Overgrazing occurs when livestock consume vegetation faster than it can regenerate. It is a cause of land degradation rather than a positive management approach. Hence it does not correspond to the sustainable planning described in the stem.

Option D:
Strip mining is a surface mining technique that removes soil and rock in strips to access minerals. It often causes severe environmental damage,which is the opposite of the conservation oriented idea in the question.