Pak Studies

Geography

Effects of climate on life and economic

activities of people in different regions

Life and economy in Thar desert

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A case study
In the Thar desert

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 A case study
The Thar desert, in the south-east of Pakistan.
Covering an area of 22,000 kilometers.

• Roughly 20% of the desert is cultivated. There are multiple choice of

crops like guar, millet, mung bean, kidney bean, sesame, watermelons
and caster seeds grown on about 80% of the cultivated land and
fodder(cattle) crops.
• By the usage of well-water from the south, some cash crops like chilly,
onion, garlic are grown in the fertile land containing very fine alluvium.
• The rain is collected in ponds and tanks and also by building mud bunds
on temporary rivers as rainfall is the only source of fresh water.
• Low rainfall period is between July to September(scattered but heavy
showers).
• High temperatures result in a high rate of evaporation.
• Land remains dry due to evaporation occurring more than the water
supplied by the rainfall.

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 Thar desert
Factors that result in a decline in the economic activity of the people

Water shortage in terms of drinking and for

• Peasants and farmers prepare lands for growing
local crops and green fodder, which are reared in
the dry region(herbs, shrubs, grasses et cetra).
• This helps boost up the Thar economy faster and
provides resources to the inhabitants rather than
seeking aid from fund agencies.
• Rain increases the opportunities to produce more
food by growing cereal.
• There is an ample production from livestock in
the rainy season.
cultivation is a chronic one.
Farmers start preparing their land for sowing seeds
as sandy soils do not hold water for long periods
soon after rainfall to take advantage of the
moisture present in the soil.
Before the onset of rains, farmers make bunds, and
dig pits by following traditional methods.
Thus the water is collected into man-made ditches
and natural hollows.

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 The rainwater may also be stored in earthen jars,

Irrigation system utensils et cetra.

It’s also stored on the roofs of “pucca” houses with
solid borders. But these do not capacitate enough to
supply drinking water everywhere.
Ample rainfall may saturate the deeper layers of soil,
thus recharging the subsoil, raising the underground
level of sweet water and recharging wells dug in the
area.

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 $50,000

CHART SLIDE $40,000

$30,000

Annual rainfall in Thar desert(x-axis

$20,000
is month and y-axis is rainfall in
mm) $10,000

$0
20XX 20XX 20XX 20XX 20XX

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More evaporation than Rainfall results
in:

Scarcity of water Lack Infrastructure TABLE

SLIDE
Food shortages Less than 24 %hhhggvvvhh
Poverty %gvghhjjhg
More than 87
hj
Poverty posing to risk life More than 87 %ddddddddd
Danger to livestock _
Danger to crops _
Illiteracy rate Below 17%

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 BIG IMAGE SLIDE
An image of the beautiful Thar desert in Sindh, Pakistan

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VIDEO SLIDE

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 THANK YOU!
M. Hassan Zeb, M. Omar Ali, Essa, Mohib Sakhi ,
Shayan, Ibrahim.T, Zaviar