Volume : 10, Issue : 12, DEC 2024

DESERTIFICATION AND LIVELIHOOD CHALLENGES IN THE THAR REGION

DR. PARDEEP RATHEE

Abstract

Desertification in the Indian Thar Desert presents severe challenges to the socio-economic structure and environmental equilibrium of the region. The arid desert, with vulnerable ecosystems, is becoming highly vulnerable to land degradation from unsustainable agriculture, overgrazing, forest degradation, and climate fluctuation. With increasing desertification, the land's ability to sustain subsistence farming and pastoralism decreases, resulting in food insecurity, water shortages, migration, and socio-economic instability. The rural poor are specifically impacted, especially women and marginalized groups who depend intensively on natural resources. This paper discusses the geographical, climatic, and anthropogenic drivers of desertification in the Thar Desert and explores its multi-dimensional consequences on human livelihoods. It also discusses community-led adaptive strategies, sustainable land management, and policy interventions for desertification mitigation and improving resilience. Scientific innovation, traditional wisdom, and participatory governance need to be integrated to achieve sustainable development in the Thar region.

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