100th birthday of Bacher Baba, father of community-led watershed development in India, celebrated

By A Representative 

Father Hermann Bacher, affectionately known as “Bacher Baba” and revered as the "Father of Community-led Watershed Development in India," was honored nationwide on his 100th birthday. A series of events was organized by the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), co-founded by Father Bacher, to commemorate his monumental contributions to rural development and sustainable agriculture in India.

Father Bacher, a Swiss Jesuit priest who arrived in India in 1948, spent over six decades transforming the lives of marginalized farmers and drought-affected communities. His pioneering work in watershed management laid the groundwork for sustainable development across rural India, and his efforts continue to impact millions of lives.

On October 11, WOTR teams across India participated in “Shramdaan Diwas,” an initiative that saw hundreds of participants engage in voluntary labor in villages. The effort focused on building watershed structures, planting trees, and raising awareness about environmental sustainability—values that Father Bacher embodied throughout his life. Prakash Keskar, Executive Director of WOTR, expressed hopes for this initiative to evolve into a broader movement, saying, “In the last three years, 18,000 people from 300 WOTR villages have participated in shramdaan. We will continue this in honor of Father Bacher’s legacy.”

On October 13, a special event combining physical and digital platforms was held, bringing together members of WOTR, former NABARD officials, partner NGOs, and friends and family of Father Bacher. Notable attendees included prominent figures like Popatrao Pawar, Farmer Sarpanch of Hirve Bazar, and Crispino Lobo, co-founder and Managing Trustee of WOTR.

Lobo paid homage to Father Bacher’s revolutionary approach to development: “Father Bacher believed in empowering people to help themselves. He wasn’t just offering aid—he was building self-reliance in communities.”

Honoring a legacy of empowerment

WOTR also announced new initiatives to extend Father Bacher’s mission, including the Hermann Bacher Fellowship Programme for young development professionals and the Hermann Bacher Award for Excellence in Community-Led Ecosystem Restoration. These initiatives aim to inspire a new generation of leaders in rural development and ecosystem management.

Father Bacher’s work in India began in 1948 when he settled in Maharashtra’s drought-prone Ahmednagar district. His innovative community-led watershed management approach and the establishment of the Indo-German Watershed Development Programme (IGWDP) in 1989 have been recognized globally. WOTR, which he co-founded in 1993, has since reached 6.93 million people in over 7,000 villages, impacting agriculture, water security, and community resilience.

As India celebrates Father Bacher’s centenary, his enduring values of empowerment, sustainability, and resilience continue to shape the future of rural development.