Water Resources, Livelihood Vulnerability and Management in Rural Desert Communities of Jaisalmer, India

Abstract

Water is the lifeblood of natural life on our planet. Climate change and augmented use of the resource has goaded it to scarcity. Given its dearth, it is imperative to understand how water can be managed in order to sustain human populations. The concept, need and various approaches to manage water sustainably have been incorporated in this chapter. An empirical case study using mixed methods of research has been delivered to illustrate the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) of rural communities in the desert region of Jaisalmer, with special attention to vulnerability of people in terms of water. The LVI is constructed by using IPCC’s 3 major dimensions: exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Seven major components and 42 sub-components have been included to conduct this research. Various local water management practices applied by the rural desert communities to sustain water have been briefly covered. Primary data collection through household and group surveys indicates how vulnerable these communities are present which indicates how their condition could worsen in the coming decades. Suggestions have been drawn to help ease the plight.