Traditional and modern systems for addressing wter scarcity in arid zones of India

Water is essential for all socio-economic development and for maintaining a healthy ecosystem in the world. At present, reduction of water scarcity is prime goal of many countries and governments. Water scarcity is one of the most important concerns of present-day geographers as water is the central subject of all kinds of developmental activities. Rajasthan is the largest state in India covering an area of 34.22 million hectares, i.e.10.5 percent of the country’s geographical area, but sharing only 1.15 percent of its water resources. The state is predominantly agrarian as the livelihood of 70 percent of its people depends on agriculturebased activities. Most of the state (60-75%) is arid or semiarid. Waterways are a vital and productive resource to our environment. Rajasthan in India is characterized by very low mean annual rainfall (100-400 mm), high inter-annual variability in rainfall and stream flows, and poorquality soils and groundwater. Rajasthan has a rich history of use of traditional systems of water harvesting in almost all the districts of the state. These practices have often saved the droughtaffected regions from problems of water famine. The serious problems of water shortages in many parts of the country are being largely attributed to the discontinued use of traditional water harvesting practices. This paper discusses reasons of scarcity of water in arid zones and also explore various traditional & modern water systems to resolve the issue of water scarcity in arid parts of India.