ECONOMIC STRATEGIES FOR DROUGHT VULNERABLE AREAS OF THE WORLD

Human experiences with drought and its socioeconomic consequences date back to times before our current era. The drought vulnerable regions of the world, especially the monsoon regions, have always been areas most hard hit. History reveals the hostility of these regions to human advances in the form of famine and starvation death. Empires have risen and fallen, civilizations have flourished and decayed and population has swollen and contracted according to the changing phases of these drought vulnerable regions and today, these empirically attested climatic vicissitudes are still with us. The progressive decline in the Sahelian precipitation regime which began in the late 1960\u27s and culminated in the human tragedy of 1972/73, coupled with the simultaneous occurrences of droughts and other weather inclemencies in many parts of the world such as China, the U.S.S.R., India, Argentina and Australia has aroused the concern of a world already in the grip of an energy crisis. The recent Sahelian human tragedy, especially, has heightened the anxiety of many people about world food/population problems. This anxiety has led to a flood of literature pertaining to drought conditions, world food/population crises and the nature and extent of international cooperation needed to address the worsening world food/population problems. These issues have also constituted topics for intense discussion in national and international conferences. This dissertation is a contribution to the analyses of these issues. Our aim in this dissertation is to examine the soil and climatic conditions of the drought vulnerable regions and compare the rates of agricultural development and the socioeconomic impacts of drought occurrences in the technologically backward arid land nations with those of technologically advanced arid land nations. Our methodology consists of a literary presentation and critical assessment of relevant materials in the literature and a theoretical application of statistical and economic models and principles in the analyses of the socioeconomic impacts of drought occurrences