Abstract ID: 3.9384 | Not reviewed | Requested as: Talk | TBA | TBA

Ladakh being India’s significant cold desert nestled in the Trans Himalayan region has a long history of environmental adaptability. The region possesses physical constraints of water availability, prolonged winter, scanty rainfall leading to water crisis due to its geographical location and extreme weather conditions. The water crisis is also due to its location in a rain shadow region behind Zaskar range which is triggered by receding glaciers of Himalayan region due to rise in temperature. This condition forces people to migrate, creating economic hardships, generating social tensions as water management always determines siting of houses and formation of settlement. The study focuses on social and economic aspects of drought among various other types caused by reducing rainfall and snowfall and improper water management. The study mainly emphasizes on how prolonged meteorological and agricultural drought directly affect primary economic activities from agriculture, farming to livestock, cattle rearing which eventually create water and food shortages leading to economic downfall and tensions between communities. With dwindling resources lead competition, disturbing social cohesion, lowering living conditions and forcing towards vulnerable situations. A thorough review of various government schemes, reports, data banks and literature, the study attempts to compare specific government schemes, role of non-government organizations, civil society organizations which are formed to address particular drought related crisis management covering all the issues from identifying specific water user groups to manage water crisis. It can be said that Ladakh being characterized by extreme weather, sparse vegetation cover is naturally a desert having harsh climatic conditions, which is now facing climate change induced peculiar situations leading to acute water crisis. By understanding its impact on the socio-economic sphere, related to human aspect which is often not discussed as mostly this has been changing livelihood conditions of indigenous people of this region. However alternative solutions like artificial glaciers have provided initial relief still those are initiating bigger water conflicts.