The PUCD project approach was based on four key elements: watershed management, participation of local communities and institutions, empowerment of women and integration of conservation and development thrusts.

Watershed management

Following the orientations of Agenda 21, Chapter 13, a watershed management approach was adopted. However, the PUCD project has addressed watersheds more as geopolitical territories (defined on the basis of their governance and social dimensions) than as hydrological units (as in conventional watershed management initiatives). This shift was deemed necessary for addressing the environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development through a participatory and integrated approach (see below). 

   Participation of local communities and institutions

The promotion of people's participation in conservation and development activities has been a core element of the PUCD project's approach. However, the participatory process has not focused exclusively on rural communities and grassroots organizations; the project has also promoted the involvement of other local social actors and institutions (e.g. the local government, line-agencies, NGOs, and the private sector) in a collaborative management scheme. 

Empowerment of women

Women's participation in conservation and development initiatives is often affected by their limited decision-making power. To address this issue, the PUCD project has promoted the empowerment of women and the mainstreaming of gender concerns by addressing the specific needs of women, focussing on promoting the formation of women's groups and associations and mainstreaming gender equity within the overall participatory process for sustainable development.

Integration of conservation and development thrusts

"Integrated development" usually means collaboration among different sectors (e.g. agriculture, livestock, forestry natural resource conservation, health and education). Though the PUCD project has not neglected intersectoral collaboration, it has defined integration as the incorporation of development and conservation goals into a comprehensive strategy for sustainable development. 

The project has thus attempted to develop a socially desirable, environmentally sound and economically feasible trade-off between short-term actions for improving people's livelihoods and social welfare, and long-term actions for preventing overexploitation of the natural resource base.