Watershed and Agriculture Management in Rajasthan

Scarcity of water, poor natural resources and desertification are the most critical issues of Rajasthan. The state has the highest probability of drought occurrence in the country. Agriculture and animal husbandry are the major sources of livelihood. However, scanty rainfall and low availability of underground water make the occupations uncertain and generate low returns. Poor income has led to several other challenges in the region, including malnutrition, women's drudgery, distress migration and exploitation of natural resources. A large number of farmers in Rajasthan still practice traditional farming which impacts yield due to the limited availability of irrigation water and extreme weather conditions. The majority of the population are poor and marginalized farmers who depend primarily on agriculture and livestock for livelihoods. Traditional rainwater harvesting systems such as johads, paals, and bandhs are in a neglected state, so the water from monsoon rains is not collected and is lost through runoff. And there are no perennial rivers that can meet the needs of the people. COVID 19 has caused widespread uncertainty throughout the population. A drought scenario with lack of water would increase the anguish among the population. Communities need adequate access to water for livelihood and for domestic use, especially during harsh summers. Traditional community water conservation practices will be considered when planning solutions for watershed management. Dr. Panmal Pahariya "Watershed and Agriculture Management in Rajasthan" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-6 | Issue-7 , December 2022, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd52339.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/geography/52339/watershed-and-agriculture-management-in-rajasthan/dr-panmal-pahariya