Saving the Camel and Peoples’ Livelihoods

An international conference to build a multi-stakeholder platform for the conservation of the camel in Rajasthan, India, was held on 23-25 November 2004 in Sadri, Rajasthan.

Conference aims included:

	Raising awareness on the declining numbers of camels in Rajasthan, with grave implications for the sustainable use of Rajasthan's arid lands and the State's 300,000 people who depend on camels for their living
	Sharing research on camels worldwide
	Identifying promising options and strategies for making camel breeding economically viable.
	Discussing the need for including camels in land-use plans and the possibilities for reserving camel grazing areas throughout the State.
	Creating political will for the implementation of policies that support camel breeding.

The conference was hosted by Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan.

	Conference brochure 145 kb
	Information on logistics 113 kb
	Information on herders' meeting that preceded the conference.

For more information, contact Hanwant Singh Rathore, Director, LPPS, lpps@sify.com

As a result of the conference, camels were the focus of the January 2005 edition of the New Agriculturist, an online magazine on agricultural development.

Articles cover the decline of camels in Rajasthan in western India, and their rising popularity in Kenya; the health benefits and market potential of camel milk; and the working camels of India and the racing camels of the Gulf. Read these articles.