Socio-Economic Impacts of Drought in Balochistan

Abstract

Drought is a period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently prolonged due
to the lack of precipitation to cause a serious hydrological imbalance and
carries connotations of a moisture deficiency for man's use. The chief
characteristic of a drought is a decrease of water availability in a
particular period and over a particular area. Drought has affected whole
of Pakistan but Balochistan province is the worst hit. It caused huge loss
to life, particularly to livestock, including sheep, goats, cattle, camels,
horses, donkeys and poultry and in some area buffaloes, which is likely to
stagger further agricultural economy of Balochistan. Recently severe
drought has jolted many parts of the region. This review is an attempt to
look into the drought’s effect on the economy of Balochistan. As a
consequence of drought, proportionate losses in fruits production and
livestock are higher among poorer and marginal land holding farmers. To
cope with the drought, they have adapted a number of strategies at farm
and off-farm levels that include crop and water management practices,
adjustment in agricultural inputs, seeking off-farm employment, assets
depletion, consumption smoothing, borrowing, and migrating to other
places to seek alternative sources of income .The primary and secondary
sources have been used for this review.