The main challenge is meeting water management in agriculture system is to  improve water use efficiency and its sustainability. This could be achieved through,  (i) an increase in crop water productivity (an increased in marketable crop yield per unit of water transpired) through irrigation, (ii) a decrease in water losses through soil evaporation that could otherwise be used by plants for their growth, and (iii) an increase in soil water storage within the plant rooting zone through better soil and water management practices at farm and area-wide (catchment) scales . In India 65 percent of land under cultivation is rain fed. Deforestation, soil erosion,  poor maintenance common land excessive  usage  of  groundwater leads  water scarcity. As a consequence of poor land management practices, absence of soil and moisture conservation measures, lack of irrigation facilities, following of unimproved methods of cultivation, inadequate extension services, lack of access to and purchasing power for inputs, etc., the land productivity of these  lands would be low and provide only meagre income.

                Maathota is a community based agri-horticulture development programme with sustainable resource conservation and management, aimed at reducing poverty and migration of the tribal communities. In the state of Andhra Pradesh BREDS pioneered this model with the support of NABARD .BREDS has proved it successful and today that programme has been extended to all parts of the state. Maathota has become a replicable model for promotion of horticulture development in the state. The project has positive impact on increasing food and nutritional security in tribal areas by making both food availability and accessibility in tribal areas.  This is a natural resource management initiative with special focus on Water and soil conservation, Organic farming and community based assets creation. Development of water carrying capacity of Water bodies and drinking & irrigation wells.

                In order to address the issues of environmental degradation and protecting the fragile resources of the community in the project areas, BREDS has taken up the special programmes on campaign mode to sensitize the communities and other stakeholders to value the need and potential of Green Growth and Green Decent Job and also safeguarding the fragile resources base through conservation and preservation of environment to ensure sound survival base of communities. The programme also aims at bringing ecological balance through promotion of organic farming, sustainable production practices, adoption of drought proof farming activities and protection of soil health and water bodies.