Water for migrant livestock: issues, concerns and policy

摘要

AboutfourmillionpeopleareengagedinmigrantpastoralismintheregionsstudiedinIndia.TheyhavetheirhomesinWesterndistrictsofRajasthan,Saurashtraandrain-shadowbeltontheDeccanplateau;allregionsofscantyanduncertainrainfall.Theymigrateforseveralmonthsdependingforwateringtheiranimalsonuponwatersourcescontrolledbyforestdepartments,freeaccesspublicresources,sourcesownedbyvillagegovernmentagencieslikePanchayats,sourcesownedbyindividualfarmersandsourcesownedbycharities.Allthesourcesarecontrolledbylocalterritorialindividualsorauthoritieswhohavefarbettercodifiedlegalrightstotheirwaterresourcesthanthecustomaryrightsofthemigrantpastoralistshave.Further,allterritorialauthoritieshavegreaterallegiancetothelocalpopulationsandnottomigrantpastoralistsfromdistantplaces.Increasingintensificationofagricultureandperiodicfailureofrainshavecausedfrequentconflictsoverwaterwhichthepastoralistsdesperatelyneedtoenabletheirstocktosurvive.Whiletheproblematiqueappearsquitecomplex,itisconceivablethatgreaterarticulationoftheinvaluableenvironmentalservicesrenderedbythemigrantpastoralistsaswellasplayingupthesentimentsoftraditionalvaluescouldsignificantlyalleviatetheproblem.Thisneedstobeaccompaniedbyhardwaresolutionsthatinvolveaddingonnecessaryinfrastructuretomakethecurrentpublicwatersourcesmultipleusesystems.