Desert ecosystems are increasingly exposed to compounded ecological risks driven by climate variability and human pressures. This study assesses ecological risk in Indian hot deserts, with particular emphasis on western Rajasthan, by synthesizing multi-source evidence from remote sensing datasets, geospatial desertification assessments, land degradation vulnerability analyses, and regional climate risk studies. Key indicators including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) trends, land degradation status, dune dynamics, soil moisture stress, and anthropogenic land-use change reveal persistent negative impacts such as declining vegetation productivity, expansion of degraded and desertified land, increased wind erosion, and heightened sensitivity to extreme heat and rainfall variability. Canal irrigation expansion and infrastructure development have produced mixed outcomes, simultaneously supporting localized greening while accelerating secondary salinization and land instability in fragile zones.
Despite these risks, the assessment highlights the role of proactive government responses. National and state-led initiatives on desertification status mapping, land degradation neutrality, watershed development, afforestation, renewable energy deployment with environmental safeguards, and climate risk assessment frameworks have contributed to localized land restoration and improved monitoring capacity. Time-series satellite observations indicate stabilization or partial recovery in selected areas where integrated land and water management practices are implemented. Future resilience depends on scaling data-driven desert management, aligning renewable energy and irrigation planning with ecological thresholds, and strengthening adaptive governance under projected climate warming. The findings underscore that ecological risk in deserts is not static but policy-responsive, and that targeted, science-based interventions can mitigate degradation while supporting sustainable development.
Desertification; Ecological risk assessment; remote sensing; Land degradation vulnerability
Jainoo Singh Choudhary, Dr. Soyhunlo Sebu, Dr. Archana Sen. Assessing Ecological Risk in Thar Desert: Indicators, Impacts, and Responses. Indian Journal of Modern Research and Reviews. 2026; 4(SP1):81-87
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