Because of the inherent variable character of rainfall, there are often occasions when the actual rainfall in arid region falls appreciably below the average. This causes drought, which manifests in terms of crop failure, unreplenished ground and surface water resources and deprivation of fodder for cattle, thus very adversely affecting the livelihood of the people. The droughts creeps on us gradually, almost mysteriously, but its consequences are terrible reality. Catastrophic droughts in a row, locally called “Trikaal” causes large scale migration, loss of livestock and human lives due to severe scarcity of water, food and fodder.
Jodhpur district gets an average rainfall of 296 mm and is spread over an area of 22850 sq kms most of which is desert. The total population is 28,80,777 : registering a growth of 33.77 % during the last decade. The livestock population outnumbers human by 1.5 times. There is a perennial shortage of water and fodder. Agriculture is wholly dependent on rainfall. There is a defined and true impression that irregular and uncertain rainfall followed by drought and famine is an inevitable, every three years cycle, in the region. During the 20th Century, the Jodhpur district faced 36 droughts; 13 of which have been classified as severe. The 21st Century has commenced with three droughts : during years 2002, 2005 and 2006.

Droughts leads to total absence of surface water sources. The traditional water storage structures like nadies and tankas, meant primarily for drinking; and khadins, check dams etc. meant for crop production dry up before onset of summer during drought years. Wells, are only source of irrigation, but the quality of water at most places is brackish and questionable for drinking due to presence of toxins. The groundwater table has declined to the extent that the shallow wells dry up, deep wells further deepened and the quality of water in deep wells deteriorates from slightly saline to saline. Sometimes, the concentration of undesirable elements such as fluoride and nitrate increase to harmful/toxic levels. The poor people suffer the most since the wells owned by them are shallow and they can not afford to deepen them.

Livestock is the main economic stay of the people. Hence, drought affects the livelihood of the people due to increased mortality, as also distress sale. To survive, people resort to sale of valuables as also to taking loans which cannot be repaid, thus resulting in total collapse of the purchasing power. Decrease in size of herd means loss of sustenance. Drought very adversely affects the socio economics of the population.

Drought adversely affect women. Even though during the normal years, women play a vital role in the family system, during drought year as the women are forced to work as labourers in government relief works; their men folk having gone out in search of livelihood; the work burden of women increases manifold; fetching drinking water from distant places, collecting firewood, as also doing other domestic work including livestock rearing; all this in addition to their routine chores.

Due to scarce natural resources and absence of any industry and employment opportunities the percentage of people living under poverty line is high. Illiteracy rates are high; specially amongst women. The region is backward and the basic infrastructure is wanting. To sustain the livelihood, there is need to take a holistic view and initiate interventions to make selected cluster of villages drought proof. These clusters could function as an oasis in the desert.