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	Print Book	2,650.00

Blurb

The Book Social aspects of drought and desertification in the desert eco-system have recently received international recognition. Though the desert environment is harsh and rainfall is very unreliable, the rural people based on traditional knowledge, have been living in balance with the natural environment since ages. The people have evolved traditional knowledge, skill and practices for dryland agriculture; soil water and vegetation conservation; livestock rearing and management. Techniques of natural resources conservation, role of physio-cultural institutions and bio-technological capacities to sustain a variety of life forms, form the basis of their sustenance living. But enormous increase in human and animals has disturbed the fragile eco-system. Overgrazed lands, shrinking forests and eroded agricultural fields due to over cultivation, deforestation and cutting of vegetation have lead to degradation of vegetation and diminution of crop potential decreasing productivity per unit area. This poses a potential threat to the resources and ultimately the lives and livelihood of the inhabitants. Thus, to protect these resources from conversion into desert like situation to desertification, there is a need to study indigenous technical knowledge for sustained production and conservation of resources. Appropriate mix of new technologies and traditional wisdom is extremely important. The book addresses these problems and their solutions. The book based on empirical field investigations, pertains to the study of man in relation to desert environment. It is devoted to the saga of drought stricken land and people of the Thar desert of India. The book synthesises the problems of drought and desertification from socio-cultural and human-ecological angle and encompasses Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) for sustained production and survival. It focuses on the three different ecological regions like pastoral, rainfed and irrigation-cum-rainfed, to the whole of arid zone of Rajasthan and India. In addition to update our rich cultural heritage of ITK, and review of voluminous researches on the problem, it is enriched with case studies, illustrated with photographs, charts and tables. The book has been organised into three parts to make chapters and topics to be arranged in an almost systematic order. The book will be of immense value to the technocrates, planners, policy makers, scientists, researchers and NGO s dealing with the problem of drought, desertification and ITK.

PART – 1. INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM : THE SETTING : AREA CHARACTERISTICS

1 Introduction

2 The setting : Area characteristics

PART – II. SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS AND IMPLICATIONS

3 Perception and Recollection of Drought and Desertification

4 Drought and Desertification – Extent, causes, processes and indicators of measurement

5 Occurrences of Drought and Socio-Economic Consequences

6 Animal – Human Relationship and Desertification

7 Livestock Migration and Pastoralism

PART – III. INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE FOR SURVIVAL AND SUSTAINED DEVELOPMENT

8 Indigenous knowledge and drought – weather prediction as a means to cope with a Hazardous climate

9 Peoples perception and indigenous knowledge of land resources conservation

10 Indigenous Agro forestry land use system

11 Social Aspiration and Sustained productivity

12 Common property resources conservation, utilization and management

13 Rain water harvesting system

14. Man and Desert Development Through : Transfer of Technology, Watershed Development Approach and Human Resource Development at the Gross Root Level