Introduction

The environment of western Rajasthan is shaped by predominant aridity, which is broken by moderate and irregular monsoonal rainfall. One assessment of the occurrence and perception of drought by farmers is that in every decade there are ' ... from six to nine severe drought years, from one to three good years, and hardly one average or "normal" year' (Bharara 1982:352). The problem is that no one knows in advance which will be a good year or which will be a bad year.