Geography - Thar desert

Location

The Thar Desert stretches across North-west India and into eastern Pakistan.

Animals in the Thar desert

Camels store fat in their hump and have two sets of eyelashes to keep sand out of their eyes. Fennec fox has large ears to keep it cool and is nocturnal do avoid the hot daytime. The peringuey adder moves sideways to reduce skin contact with the sand and was waterproof skin o reduce water loss.

Vegetation in the Thar desert

Acacia trees have short, fat trunks to store water and long roots to spread over large areas and to find underground water. Cacti have spines to deter predators and short, spiky leaves to avoid moisture loss. Ephemerals can lie dormant for years and burst to life when there is rainfall.

Opportunities in the Thar desert

Minerals such as limestone, gypsum, feldspar and marble are quarried for commercial use. Large coal and oilfields have been developed and solar and wind energy is also produced. Commercial farming due to the Indira Ghandi Canal enables large scale farming. Thousands of visitors come to see the wildlife.

Challenges in the Thar desert

Extreme temperatures make it hard to work outside. Low rainfall and high temperatures leads to water shortages. Population growth and industrial growth place stress of water supplies. The few roads that there is melts in the sun, making transport difficult.

Desertification

Land gradually turns into desert because of the farmers overgrazing and overcultivating. Climate change contributes as vegetation struggles to grow. It threatens the food security of those who live in those areas.

Tree planting

Trees are planted to help bind the soil, to reduce erosion and stabilise sand dunes. Branches from trees also provide shade and trees are a source of firewood and building materials.

National parks in the Thar desert

The Desert National Park was created in the Thar Desert, India in 1992 to help protect 3000 square kilometres of desert and reduce the risk of desertification.

Water and soil management in the Thar desert

Appropriate technology such as low stone walls called bunds are used to trap water allowing it to soak into the soil rather than running off. These bunds also reduce soil erosion from both water and wind. Soil then retains more moisture to allow crops to grow.