Reclaiming Pakistani Cholistan Desert through Sustainable Strategies: Implications for Rural Extension

Abstract

holistan Desert located in the Eastern Pakistan and Sothern part of Punjab province is an extension of Great Indian Desert. Spreading over an area of about 2.6 million hectares (26,000 km2), the sandy desert with an annual mean rainfall varying from 100-250 mm has hot, dry and arid climate. The population of the desert has touched the figure of 110,000. Although ecological and climatic conditions for all the living organisms are extremely poor and relatively hard and harsh yet livestock sector is supporting the livelihoods of its inhabitants. The area is subjected to the prime issues like: extreme scarcity of water, drought conditions, over-grazing, deforestation, wind erosion, salinity. In the past, Cholistan Desert was the home to the many wildlife species but unfortunately this natural resource is vanishing fast. The paper presents an overview of the available resources of the area; provides the critical analyses of the strategies/interventions tried so far and examines the available options to realize sustainable development. The paper aims at reclaiming the desert lands and converting them into productive ecosystems (at least to the possible extent( by conserving its precious natural resources like: lands, water, flora and fauna; and identifying the alternate measures to elevate the livelihood of desert dwellers. The secondary data were used to make inferences, draw conclusions and suggest remedial measures. Through sustainable strategies, the rich heritage of desert biodiversity can be conserved and promoted. A holistic approach comprising of the initiatives like: Rural Extension and Development Initiatives (REDI); Improved Water Harvesting Techniques (IWHT); Saline Agriculture Approach, Desert-based Aquaculture (DBA), and improved water storage facilities are imperative to launch in order to make the desert greener. Innovative technologies discussed in the article could possibly reclaim the desert; sustain more vegetation to feed a greater number of animal units. Such initiatives if taken have the potential to elevate the livelihood of inhabitants of Cholistan Desert.