Pastoral alternatives for sustainable development

Policy planners, academicians and representatives of non-governmental organizations will deliberate whether pastoralism provides a strategic alternative in the quest for sustainable development in a two day national seminar at Jaipur, Rajasthan on November 21-22. The two day seminar on "Sustainable Pastoralism" will be organized by the Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur (IDS-J) with collaborative support from Swiss Development Corporation. Professor Surjit Singh, Director of IDS-J said the seminar will explore how pastoralism contributes to the process of sustainable development by identifying its characteristic features and essential strengths. Dr Purnendu S Kavoori, coordinator of the workshop, says that mainstream development has singularly failed to recognize the potential of pastoralists to contribute to the development process. By and large development thoughts and interventions have sought to ‘sedentarize and de-pastoralist’ rural people, he added. However pastoralists have not only continued to survive, they have in many instances shown remarkable resilience and adaptability to changing scenarios. Pastoralists have time and again successfully demonstrated their capacities for incorporating new technologies, institutional mechanisms and economic opportunities towards strengthening their livelihood, said Dr Kavoori. The national seminar will be attended by representatives from Ford Foundation, UNDP, International Livestock Research Institute, Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology, Foundation of Ecological Security, Rajasthan Mission of Livelihood, G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development, Sheep and Wool Department of Government of Rajasthan along with a number of NGO representatives. It is expected that the workshop will consolidate a network of concerned organizations and individuals involved on pastoral issues. Among larger objectives of the workshop is to examine whether Rajasthan should be declared a ‘pastoral region’.

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