Hot Desert LEDC Case Study - Geography GCSE

Location: The Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

Rainfall is the desert is low - between 120-240mm a year
Summer temperatures can reach over 50degrees C

Most of the desert is sandy hills with mobile sand dunes and small amounts of vegetation.

The soil is sandy and not very fertile- due to the little orgaing matter in them
-there is little surface water as the soil drains quickly

Subsistence Farming

• Most people living in the desert are involved in subsistence farming, however: 
  -the climate presents huge challenges, as the rainfall is unreliable so there are frequent droughts
  -Most farming is subsistence farming, though some crops are sold at local markets 
•  The 'Kohlis Tribe' are hunter-gatherers, surviving in the desert by hunting animals and gathering fruit and natural products. This is the most basic form of farming and is very rare.

Irrigation and commercial farming

• The main form of irrigation in the desert is the Canal
  -Over 3500m^2 is under irrigation
• Commercial farming producing crops such as wheat and cotton flourishes in the area.
• The canal provides drinking water to many people in the desert

Mining and Industry

• The area has a rich supply of minerals
• There are valuable reserves of substances which can be used in industry, such as to make Cement, Plaster, Ceramics, Fertiliser and for whitening paper
• There are valuable reserves of stone in the area
  -Limestone is particularly important in India's steel industry
  -The Limestone can also be used for producing cement

Tourism

• The area is increasingly popular with tourists
  -the landscapes are beautiful
  -desert safaris on camels are popular with foreigners as well as wealthy Indians
• Locals benefit by acting as guides or looking after camels.

• Population Pressure: The Thar Desert is the densely populated desert in the world
  -the high population puts pressure on the fragile desert ecosystem, leading to overgrazing and overcultivating
• Water Management: excessive irrigation in areas has lead to waterlogging
  -In these areas, Salinisation occurs - salts poisonous to plants are deposited on the surface
  -excessive water demand has caused an unsustainable fall in the water tables 
• Soil erosion:  overgrazing and overcultivating have damaged the vegetation, leading to soil erosion from the wind and rain
• Fuel: reserves of firewood are dwindling, so people use manure as fuel rather than a fertiliser to improve soil quality
• Tourism: the environment is fragile and will suffer is tourism is overdeveloped

In 1977 the Desert Development Programme was started to provide the people with a sustainable future. The main aims were to:

• restore the ecological balance, by conserving, developing and harnessing land, water, livestock and human resources

In Rajasthan, it has been particularly concerned with developing forestry and sand stabilisation

• Forestry: The 'Prosopis cineraria' is the most important tree in the desert
  -it is well suited to the hostile conditions and has multiple uses
  -Scientists developed a breed of plum from a Ber tree, which produces large fruits, even with low rainfall conditions. 
  -The fruits could be sold for a profit
• Stabilising Sands:  In some areas, the mobile sand dunes form a threat to farmland, roads and waterways.
  -Approaches have been made to stabilise the dunes, such as planting blocks of trees and belts of trees and fences along roads and canals.