Aravalli's Overused Resources

The Aravalli ranges, among the oldest and most ecologically fragile mountain systems in the world, are facing severe environmental degradation due to unchecked human activity. This chapter documents the key drivers of ecological decline in the Aravalli region, including population growth, urban expansion, deforestation, water scarcity, illegal mining, shifting land use patterns, livestock pressures, and pollution. These stressors have pushed the region’s natural resources—land, water, forests, and minerals—beyond their carrying capacity, threatening biodiversity, altering regional climate patterns, and disrupting socio-economic stability. Despite these challenges, a comprehensive ecological status report and a long-term sustainable development plan are lacking. The chapter emphasizes the urgent need for decentralized governance, scientific land use planning, and site-specific micro-level development strategies. It calls for immediate action, including banning illegal mining, promoting regulated scientific mining with rehabilitation, undertaking carrying capacity studies, and integrating livestock management reforms such as breed improvement and scientific goat rearing. Furthermore, the adoption of organic and climate-resilient farming practices is proposed to mitigate the negative impacts of intensive agriculture. A dedicated task force is urgently needed to develop a long-term, sustainable development perspective for the Aravalli ranges to safeguard their ecological and economic future.