Indigenous knowledge and drought in the arid zone of Rajasthan [India]: Weather prediction as a means to cope with a hazardous climate

This paper is the result of a first step of a cooperation between two sociologists as members of scientific research units in which the consideration of socio-cultural aspects of environment gains momentum. They emphasize the importance of the consideration of indigenous knowledge in the development process of areas with precarious environmental conditions. In their contribution they highlight the immense value of autochthonous perceptions of particularly rural surroundings to face future challenges and to safeguard the sustainable physical, social and cultural persistence of the semi-arid area of Rajasthan. (author)