Sustainable water security in the Thar Desert, India: blending traditional wisdom with modern techniques

With a population of 30 million people, the Thar Desert is one of the poorest areas of India primarily due to the chronic aridity of the region. A perpetual crisis situation exists in the area due to the increased impact of both the human and livestock population which continues to put tremendous pressure on land, surface and groundwater resources. The acute problem of water scarcity, particularly the low rate of annual rainfall and subsequent lack of crops grown in the region, have made it difficult for people to develop agricultural land and survive solely off the income it provides. Although measures have been taken by the government to address the mentioned crises, none of the measures had a long lasting impact as these did not incorporate indigenous knowledge that helped the local people to survive for centuries. In the drive for development, and due to indifference to local know-how, much of the traditional wisdom have been forgotten. This paper explores the efforts made by HEDCON and GRAVIS in reviving traditional technology and blending it with modern techniques to provide sustainable water security in the Thar Desert.