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Spotlight on ‘sustainable pastoralism’

JAIPUR: Policy planners, academicians and representatives of non-Government organisations will deliberate on whether pastoralism can provide a strategic alternative in the quest for sustainable development at a national seminar to be held here on November 21 and 22.

The two-day seminar on “Sustainable pastoralism” will be organised at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) here under a collaborative support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Experts attending the meet will try to identify characteristic features and essential strengths of pastoralism.

IDS Fellow and coordinator of the seminar, Purnendu S. Kavoori, said here on Tuesday that the mainstream development paradigm had failed to recognise the potential of pastoralists to contribute to the growth process, with the development thought and intervention by and large seeking only to “sedentarise and de-pastoralise” the pastoral people.

“Pastoralists have not only continued to survive, but have in many instances shown remarkable resilience and adaptability to the changing scenarios,” said Dr. Kavoori, while pointing out that pastoralists had time and again successfully demonstrated their capacity for incorporating new technologies, institutionalmechanism and economic opportunities for strengthening their livelihood.

The seminar will be attended by representatives of the Ford Foundation, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Livestock Research Institute, Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology, Foundation of Ecological Security, Rajasthan Livelihood Mission, Society for Promotion of Wasteland Development and several NGOs.

Prominent experts on the subject, such as D.V. Rangnekar, Ajay Dandekar, Vasant Sabarwal, Minoti Chakarvarty Kaul and Nihal Farooque, are expected to attend the seminar. Dr. Kavoori said one of the objectives of the seminar was to examine whether Rajasthan could be declared a “pastoral region”. The meet is also expected to consolidate a proposed network of organisations and individuals working on the pastoral issues.

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