About Book

Arif Hasan has had a long association with observing, documenting and participating in Thar's social and development changes. This book consists of three sections. Section one contains an evaluation of the causes and effects of the 1987 drought in the desert and the setting up of the Thar Rural Development Project (TRDP) as a solution to some of the social and environmental problems that the desert is increasingly facing. The second section is an evaluation of TRDP five years later in 1992. Section three deals with the impact of roads on socio-economic conditions and the physical environment in Tharparkar. The struggle of communities against the adverse effects of the coal project is also dealt with.

About Author

Arif Hasan is an architect and planner, activist, teacher, researcher and the author of a large number of books, research papers and monographs on urban development issues. He was the Principal Consultant to the Orangi Pilot Project-Research and Training Institute from 1981 to 2017. He is also founder Chairperson of the Urban Resource Centre, Karachi and a founding member of the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights, Bangkok. All these projects are being replicated in a number of cities worldwide and have received international recognition. He has also taught at Pakistani and European universities, lectured worldwide, been a member of various UN committees, and his activism has led to the modification of a number of projects and policies in favour of low income communities. He has received a number of national and international awards for his work and writings including the Hilal-e-Imtiaz and the UN Year for the Shelterless Memorial Award.