Finally, we estimate the costs of land degradation in china and compare them with the costs of inaction. The most authoritative estimates of the extent of land degradation are contained in a report on south asia prepared by undp, unep and fao land degradation in south asia. There are four main ways of looking at land degradation and its impact on the. Causes and consequences of land degradation in india gktoday. Forest degradation occurs when the ecosystem functions of the forest are degraded but where the area remains forested rather cleared anon. Causes of land degradation and desertification in india land degradation. Soil degradation is, in itself, an indicator of land degradation. Forests climate change, biodiversity and land degradation. Mining sites are abandoned after the excavation work is done, reaving deep scars of overburdening.
Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of humaninduced processes acting upon the land. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. What is forest degradation and what are various causes of it. It encompasses physical soil erosion, chemical salinity and alkalinity, pollution and biological deterioration pollution and. The effect of deterrents on land degradation only applies in those areas using land extensively. In states like odisha, jharkhand, madhya pradesh, chhattisgarh, deforestation due to mining has caused severe land degradation. It results into reduced growth of vegetation, reduced diversity of plant species, excessive growth of unwanted plant species, soil erosion, and degradation of land due to cattle movement. Chapter 3 describes some ofthe key degradation problems and potentials for land. Forest degradation is a process in which the biological wealth of a forest area is permanently diminished by some factor or by a combination of factors. The use of climate information must be applied in developing sustainable practices. Four further classes are recognized as types of land degradation, and as having considerable importance in the region. Economics of land degradation in china springerlink. The study proposes agroforestry and social forestry practices, plantation forestry, and conservation of the remaining natural forests as a strategy for physical recovery in ethiopia. Land degradation results from the combined effects of processes such as loss of biological diversity and vegetative cover, soil loss nutrient imbalance, decline in soil organic matter and decrease of infiltration and water retention capacity.
Land is a vital resource to humankind, like air and water. This section describes land degradation trends in kenya as an introduction to the following pairs of satellite images that show this degradation on the ground. The causes of land degradation in this category will require immediate. In turn, unsustainable land use is driving land degradation. Deforestation and land degradation on the ethiopian highlands. It is one of the major causes of low and declining agricultural productivity and continuing food insecurity and rural poverty.
In addition, land degradation directly affected the type of plant grown on the area, reduced availability of potable water, lessened volumes of surface water, depletion of aquifers and biodiversity loss. Indeed some 31 countries do not even make the list because they have already removed most of their forests and even if that remain are seriously fragmented and degraded. A more specific definition states that land degradation is. Soil erosion is a natural process that removes soil from the land. Thus, arthur and jeanette conacher defined land degradation as alterations to. The impact of climate change, desertification and land. Land degradationthe deterioration or loss of the productive capacity of the soils for present and futureis a global challenge that affects everyone through food insecurity, higher food prices, climate change, environmental hazards, and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Pollution introduces contaminants into the environment that. Land degradation as the land use section earlier in this chapter shows, demands on the land for economic development and pressures from a burgeoning population are leading to unprecedented land use change. Conversion of agricultural land in nonagricultural uses is one of the main reasons to follow. Overview on degradation of land due to over grazing in ethiopia. What is environmental degradation, causes and effects. Land degradation food and agriculture organization of the united. Thus, arthur and jeanette conacher defined land degradation as alterations to all aspects of the biophysical. The emphasis on land, rather than soil, broadens the focus to include natural resources, such as climate, water, landforms and vegetation. The final edited and typeset version of record will appear in the future. Natural causes of land degradation are earth quakes, tsuna mis, droughts. Cause of land degradation and its impacts on livelihoods of.
Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices. Soil erosion is the most serious precursor of soil degradation that comes with global implications. Pollution, whenever we talk about pollution then the major things we get in our mind is water pollution and air pollution. The causes, types and effects of land degradation are addressed in the next paragraphs. Pdf land degradation control and its global environmental. Pdf land degradation can be described as an environmental phenomenon affecting dry lands. Increase in demand for goods and resources has led to land degradation.
The term land degradation involves both soil and vegetation degradation. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and the economy. Serious land degradation in nauru after the depletion of the phosphate cover through mining. The changes in area of forest by region and subregion are shown in table 1. Water erosion is the most common form of degradation in the area, affecting 25 percent of agricultural land. The forest is still there, but with fewer trees, or less species of trees, plants or animals, or some of them affected by plagues. In the following, the types, causes, effects and solutions for environmental degradation are examined. Unesco eolss sample chapters water resources management vol. The main outcome of land degradation is a substantial reduction in the productivity of land. Water and air pollution are unfortunately the comm on causes of environmental degradation. Conclusion land degradation occurs because of land poor management practices.
Global climate changes may contribute to accelerate land degradation processes but, obviously, to a lesser degree than the effects of land use changes. Recommendations on priorities of lldcs on climate change, desertification, land degradation and drought what has emerged from this study is that there is an imperative need to give lldcs special attention in as far as the issues of climate change, land degradation and desertification are concerned. Overgrazing refers to excessive eating of grasses and other green plants by cattle. Soil degradation is a serious global environmental problem and may be exacerbated by climate change. A case study on keyain village of munshigonj district. Chapters 7 and 8 are concerned with the economic and social consequences of land degradation. The causes behind land degradation are related to the climate and human activities. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by. Made by aunj raut krishna sashank land degredation 2. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the physical environment is affected by a. The consequences of deforestation in terms of soil erosion, land degradation, nutrient loss, and the disruption of the delicate equilibrium among soil, plants and atmosphere can be seen in the vast tracts of barren and unproductive land where lush green forest once grew. Land degradation is a global problem largely related to agricultural use.
Land degradation and desertification european parliament. Land degradation is defined as the temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity of the land, and the diminution of the productive potential, including its major land uses e. History, nature, causes, consequences, and solutions conacher, arthur encyclopedia of life support systems eolss above. Effects focus on atmosphere, human health and nature.
The ecosystems services that the land provides are at breaking point. The resources get depleted and the quality of air, water and soil diminishes. The following are the research question of the study. Desertification and the associated loss of vegetation, causes. Land degradation is equally cause and effect of poverty klaus topfer. Click on the title to browse this list of accepted articles.
In order to assess sustainable land management practices, the climate resources and the risk of climate related natural disaster need to be documented. Ecological degradation can have serious effects for many animals, plants and also for humanity. Land degradation connotes loss of biological and economic productivity of the soil as a result of agricultural, mining and urban development activ ities agele, 2011. Let us check what environmental degradation is, its causes and effects. Land degradation intruduction land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of humaninduced processes acting upon the land. Thus, in order to prevent these adverse consequences, we should take several measures in our daily life. Forest degradation results owing to decrease in tree cover, the biodiversity in the forests or the changes to a lower state of the forest structure. The various forms of land degradation are discussed.
The productivity of grassland and forest resources, in addition to that of cropland, is embodied in this definition. Land degradation, soil erosion and soil conservation pmf ias. Land clearance, such as clearcutting and deforestation. Land degradation can be defined in several ways depending upon the subject that needs to be emphasized. Livestock including overgrazing inappropriate irrigation. It has direct impact on the agriculture and environ. Soil degradation refers to negative changes in the physical. The direct cause of land degradation is mismanagement of the land by man. Overview on degradation of land due to overgrazing in ethiopia.
May 01, 2019 land degradation soil degradation is the decline in soil quality caused by its improper use, usually for agricultural, pastoral, industrial or urban purposes. The change in the characteristic and quality of soil which adversely affect its fertility is called as degradation. While dramatic vegetation changes occurred during the. Land degradation is the common environmental problem in ethiopia. Natural hazards are excluded as a cause of land degradation in calabar south, however human activities can indirectly affect phenomena such as floods and. Abu sayeed during the last few years the agriculture sector is facing danger in many ways. The main causes of the land degradation include climate change, land clearance and deforestation, depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices, overgrazing and over grafting, inappropriate irrigation, urban sprawl and commercial development and soil pollution. One of the calamitous effects of land pollution is the destruction of nearby forests together with its ecosystems. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Introduction the change in the characteristic and quality of soil which adversely affect its fertility is called as degradation. Discharge of various kinds of chemicals on land adjacent to forest regions makes the environment unappealing to the survival of trees, vegetations, and animal species. Disturbance events such as fire, droughts, or land use changes are events taking place out of the range of natural variability of the ecosystems rykiel, 1985.
Natural causes of land degradation are earth quakes, tsunamis, droughts. Cause and effects of land degradation environmental. Environmental degradation means reduction in the quality of the environment due to man made and natural factors. Land degradation is the most important environmental problem curr.
The direct impacts of degradation are a major cause for concern. Mitigate the causes and negative effects of land degradation on the structure and. Desertification has been defined as land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities11. Population pressure including urban sprawl and commercial development.
It is shown that if sediment load is to be reduced then efficient tools must be used to identify and treat the areas where sediment production is greatest. These are the accepted, unedited articles published online and citable. The degradation was the result of loss of vegetation due to deforestation, cutting beyond permissible limits, unsustainable fuel wood and fodder extraction, shifting cultivation, encroachment on forest lands, forest fires and overgrazing. The soil integrates a variety of important processes involving vegetation growth, overland flow of water, infiltration, land use and land management. Our reactions on these parameters are also very strong because we see the damages and changes occurred by them in our daily lives with very clear and it is a common nature of human beings. What causes land degradation the predominant cause of land degradation in australia has been the permanent removal of native vegetation particularly in the wheatsheep and higher rainfall zones see map and the way this cleared land has been used. Causes, effects and control strategies 5 deforestation are maintained. Land degradation development is an international journal which seeks to promote rational study of the recognition, monitoring, control and rehabilitation of degradation in terrestrial environments. Pdf acknowledged by world leaders as a global problem, land. At about 50 percent of the total land use, agriculture is one of the biggest uses of land on our. Chapter 7 economic consequences of land degradation. Oct 07, 2017 the ecosystems services that the land provides are at breaking point.
Cause of land degradation and its impacts on livelihoods. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and the. The land degradation processes include soil erosion, nutrient depletion, salinization, desertification and soil acidification or alkalinisation. Land degradation is a change to land that makes it less useful for human beings. Any change that decreases productivity of the land land clearing poor land management practices 2 3. This does not involve a reduction of the forest area, but rather a quality decrease in its condition. Thirty per cent of the earth s land area or abou t 3. The condition of the soil is one of the best indicators of land degradation. What is forest degradation and what are various causes of. Land degradation is the major consequences of direct interference of human activities in the natural phenomenon.
Cause and effects of land degradation environmental sciences. This is because they are localized or of small extent on a regional scale, or because they are more fully treated elsewhere. Land degradation is, usually, the result of complex interrelationships between biophysical and socioeconomic issues which affect many people and their land, specially in the tropics and developing countries. Poor land management practices include grazing of stock that has hard hooves, growing of crops that require large amounts of fertilisers and pesticides especially superphosphate and nitrogen. The three degradation terms, environmental degradation, land degradation, and soil degradation, are defined as any change or disturbance to the environment, land, or soil perceived to be. As you read on, consider what ways humanity can do things differently to reverse this land degradation.
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