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The northwestern hot arid region of India has been classified in 15 resource management domains (RMDs) by integrating biophysical resources and socio-economic indicators. Each RMD is uniform with respect to the natural resource base and socio-economic indicators, thus, these have similar potential/constraints and social status. The RMDs, (1) Western dune complex-livestock based livelihood, (2) Hard pan soil-livestock based livelihood, (10) Coastal rocky upland-labor based livelihood, and (11) Coastal ranns and mud flats-labor based livelihood, have severe biophysical constraints and low socio-economic status. The RMDs with moderate biophysical constraints and medium socio-economic status are (3) Sandy plain-rainfed farming and livestock, (4) Eastern sandy plain under rainfed/limited tube well irrigation, (5) Luni basin alluvial plain rainfed/brackish water irrigation, (6) Luni-Banas pediment-rainfed/limited dug-well irrigation, (12) Kachchh mainland-rainfed/limited irrigation (13) Santhalpur aeo-alluvial plain-rainfed farming, (14) Basaltic rocky/gravelly upland rainfed farming/labor based livelihood, and (15) Basaltic piedmont/valley fill with rainfed/limited irrigation. The RMDs associated with negligible biophysical constraints and high socio-economic status are (7) Dune complex with limited canal irrigation, (8) Canal irrigated aeolian plain, and (9) Intensive canal irrigated Sutlej-Yamuna river plain. Priority areas for research and development of each RMD have been suggested. Change analysis with respect to land use, area under different crops, and crop production revealed that the region is heading towards intensification and higher yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]