BAIF is a national NGO which is involved in implementation of pioneering development programs in different parts of country. BAIF Development Research Foundation works with disadvantaged rural communities and stakeholders for more than four decades now in over 85,000 villages across India. The main focus is on developing sustainable livelihoods by applying technology and research to farming and livestock to raise productivity while conserving the natural resources. BAIF is operating in the areas of cattle development (particularly dairy husbandry, goat husbandry), silvipasture development, feed and fodder management, water resources development, improved agriculture, agri-horti-forestry and drudgery reduction of women With this background, BAIF has recently set up a thematic Center for developing appropriate program packages and development models for niche areas having unique agro ecological and bio-physical settings and socio economic challenges. One such regions is Arid/ Desert region of Western India.DST core support is planned to be used to strengthen and support the work through this center which aims at realizing the goal of sustainable livelihood-development through technology interventions for the benefit of communities residing in Arid regions of Western India. Through this center, BAIF intends to develop, demonstrate and strengthen application of context specific, suitable technologies to be able to achieve following specific outcomes: Blending of technologies for family based ( Farming system based) and area based ( NRM based) development approach Enhanced/sustained options of livelihoods for communities under Desert context Improved livestock resource and management practices under arid/desert conditions Increase or sustain food-crops production and fodder and forestry resources in this region Increased availability of water for irrigation and domestic use by revival of traditional practices along with necessary improvisations Decrease in time, labour and hardship required for collecting water, fodder, fuel wood by women in desert Reduction in migration of productive labour force and creation of employment in villages of arid parts of India

§ Field actions are proposed at Rapar cluster in Kachchh district of Gujarat, Barmer cluster in Rajasthan and atresearch farms of BAIF at Nanodara ,near Ahmedabad § The work through this thematic center will be coordinated centrally by BAIF H.O.,Pune and field implementation is planned with two of it’s state associate agencies i.e : RRIDMA – Rajasthan Rural Institute of Development Management – having it’s head office at Udaipur and operational area in all districts of Rajasthan (www.rridma.org) § GRISERV :- Gujarat Rural Institute for Socio Economic Reconstruction ,Vadodara ,having it’s head office at Badoda and operational area in all districts ( www.griserv.com) § BAIF has also set up a office at Kutch and Barmer to coordinate the activities at selected two clusters. The work is ongoing at few villages