Socio-economic Development of Human Resource in Arid Rural Areas

Purpose of this research was to explore the role of mini dams to cope up water shortage in rain-fed water scarce arid areas of Pothowar plateau (Pakistan) and their impact on the socio economic development of human resource (resource poor farmers of arid rural areas), who, applied mini dam techniques for irrigation. Pothowar, is arid (barani) rural area of Punjab province, of Pakistan and depends mainly on agriculture for livelihood, which is unsustainable because of water shortage. The main source of irrigation is rain but plenty of rainy water is lost to streams and rivers without giving any benefit by penetrating in the soil because of uneven and sloping surface. In Pothowar more than 70 % rains occur in monsoons (July to September) and about 3.4 MAF of water is lost as surface run-off. The problem was to catch this rainy water from catch-ment areas of slope in mini dams and use it for agriculture in command areas. Farmers of arid rural area (Pothowar) solved this problem by constructing 534 mini dams and it brought revolution in their socio-economic status.