SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ARID REGIONS: LESSONS FROM RAJASTHAN, INDIA

In arid areas, policies for sustainable development need to take into account the interlinkage between environmental conditions, economic activity and social equity. Rajasthan provides a good example of the opportunities and constraints of development in a water constrained environment. There is much to learn from traditional water-harvesting systems and locally adapted land-use practices and the official groundwater assessments provide a glimpse of the scale of water stress. Meanwhile, the growth of renewables shows that economic diversification and reduced carbon electricity generation is possible. These challenges cannot be solved by a single technology or development programme. To achieve long-term progress, requires water governance, climate-adaptive agriculture, ecosystem restoration, responsible renewable energy planning, and inclusive institutions. The key takeaway from Rajasthan is that economic development can only be achieved within the ecological constraints of the area. Finally, sustainable development needs to be assessed not just on the basis of growth of infrastructure or economic production, but also on the basis of whether communities are able to sustain their livelihoods, access their resources, overcome inequalities and sustain the environmental systems that underpin their futures.

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