Thar Desert

• Development Opportunities

  Farming, mining, energy generation, tourism
• Development opportunities - farming

  Irrigation in the Thar desert has made commercial farming possible
• Development opportunity - Mining


  The desert has valuable reserves of minerals like phosphorite and gypsum. These get exported and also are used to produce a range of things from cement to fertilisers
• Development opportunity - energy generation


  Energy in the Thar desert is produced using solar panels. This energy is used in desalination plants.

  Wind energy is also used to generate electricity. Near Jaisalmer, a wind farm consisting of 75 wind turbines has the capacity to produce 60 mW of electricity.
• Development opportunity - tourism

  The Thar desert national park attracts many visitors who want to see some of the 120 species found there.

  It also attracts tourists to the picturesque landscape.

  Tourism provides jobs for locals.(Low skilled labour such as tour guides and working with and after camels)
• Thar desert challenges

  Extreme temperatures, water supply, inaccessibility
• Thar desert challenges - extreme temperatures

  Temperatures in the Thar desert can exceed 50 in summer months. It is hard for people to farm, work in mines, or guide tours in these temperatures. This makes development difficult.
• Thar desert challenges - water supply

  The supply of water is precious and limited. Only 120-140 mm of rain falls a year. Without water, the development of mining, farming and tourism and therefore the economy would not be possible.

  Some parts of the desert have experienced over-irrigation, which has caused waterlogging of the ground. This excess water has evaporated leaving a layer of salt in the surface making it difficult to grow crops.
• Thar desert challenges - Inaccessibility

  The desert covers 200,000 km^2. Most of the desert is inaccessible due to the extreme environmental conditions and poor infrastructure.

  Beyond the city of Jaisalmer, development is limited. This has created a honeypot site (popular tourist attraction) in Jaisalmer but not beyond. This has created a large difference between the rich and the poor.