It has direct impact on the agriculture and environ. Mining sites are abandoned after the excavation work is done, reaving deep scars of overburdening. A general definition of land degradation is presented by wasson 1987 as. A more specific definition states that land degradation is. What is forest degradation and what are various causes of. 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. 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 degradation is the major consequences of direct interference of human activities in the natural phenomenon. Conversion of agricultural land in nonagricultural uses is one of the main reasons to follow. The causes of land degradation in this category will require immediate. 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. Land degradation is the common environmental problem in ethiopia. The direct impacts of degradation are a major cause for concern. The resources get depleted and the quality of air, water and soil diminishes.
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. Cause and effects of land degradation environmental sciences. Land degradation and desertification european parliament. There are four main ways of looking at land degradation and its impact on the. Pdf acknowledged by world leaders as a global problem, land. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and the economy. Apr 29, 2019 causes and effects of desertification on people and the environment sara popescu slavikova soil degradation april 29, 2019 the word desertification may seem like a word depicting a very distant and abstract environmental problem that most of us do not consider being important in our daily lives. Chapter 3 describes some ofthe key degradation problems and potentials for land. What is forest degradation and what are various causes of it. Ecological degradation can have serious effects for many animals, plants and also for humanity. Cause of land degradation and its impacts on livelihoods. Let us check what environmental degradation is, its causes and effects. Natural causes of land degradation are earth quakes, tsunamis, droughts. This is because they are localized or of small extent on a regional scale, or because they are more fully treated elsewhere.
Chapters 7 and 8 are concerned with the economic and social consequences of land degradation. There are different causes for the different typesforms of land degradation, and causes may differ from one country or stateprovince to another depending on factors like agricultural practices, other environmental pollution factors and so on. Any change that decreases productivity of the land land clearing poor land management practices 2 3. Four further classes are recognized as types of land degradation, and as having considerable importance in the region. 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. 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. Thus, arthur and jeanette conacher defined land degradation as alterations to all aspects of the biophysical. At about 50 percent of the total land use, agriculture is one of the biggest uses of land on our. Cause of land degradation and its impacts on livelihoods of. Conclusion land degradation occurs because of land poor management practices. This chapter first considers briefly the history of land degradation with some comparisons between the old and new worlds and consideration of the data or evidence.
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. Oct 07, 2017 the ecosystems services that the land provides are at breaking point. Global climate changes may contribute to accelerate land degradation processes but, obviously, to a lesser degree than the effects of land use changes. Cause and effects of land degradation environmental. 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. Soil erosion is the most serious precursor of soil degradation that comes with global implications. Tools and techniques for measuring sediment delivery for large scale areas affecting. The condition of the soil is one of the best indicators of land degradation.
Pdf land degradation can be described as an environmental phenomenon affecting dry lands. 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. 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. Causes, effects and control strategies 5 deforestation are maintained. The causes behind land degradation are related to the climate and human activities. Abu sayeed during the last few years the agriculture sector is facing danger in many ways. 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. The emphasis on land, rather than soil, broadens the focus to include natural resources, such as climate, water, landforms and vegetation. Soil degradation refers to negative changes in the physical. 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. Nearly 10 million hectares of arable land are lost to erosion and other forms of soil degradation every year 1 countries all over the world are battling with worrisome sight of deepening gullies crisscrossing the landscape and barren fields stripped of the fertile topsoil. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the physical environment is affected by a. Chapter 7 economic consequences of land degradation.
Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. In the following, the types, causes, effects and solutions for environmental degradation are examined. Natural hazards are excluded as a cause of land degradation in calabar south, however human activities can indirectly affect phenomena such as floods and. Thirty per cent of the earth s land area or abou t 3. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. This does not involve a reduction of the forest area, but rather a quality decrease in its condition. Mitigate the causes and negative effects of land degradation on the structure and. Introduction the change in the characteristic and quality of soil which adversely affect its fertility is called as degradation. Jun 01, 2016 the following are many of the major causes of land degradation that have led to problems for our earth. 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. Other definitions differentiate between reversible and irreversible land degradation.
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. Increase in demand for goods and resources has led to land degradation. The term land degradation involves both soil and vegetation degradation. 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 final edited and typeset version of record will appear in the future. As you read on, consider what ways humanity can do things differently to reverse this land degradation. The change in the characteristic and quality of soil which adversely affect its fertility is called as degradation. Forests climate change, biodiversity and land degradation. Water erosion is the most common form of degradation in the area, affecting 25 percent of agricultural land. A case study on keyain village of munshigonj district. 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. One of the calamitous effects of land pollution is the destruction of nearby forests together with its ecosystems. 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. Forest degradation occurs when the ecosystem functions of the forest are degraded but where the area remains forested rather cleared anon.
Land degradation food and agriculture organization of the united. 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. What is environmental degradation, causes and effects. Overview on degradation of land due to overgrazing in ethiopia. 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. Overgrazing refers to excessive eating of grasses and other green plants by cattle. Read this article to learn about the meaning, factors responsible, prevention and control measures of land degradation. Pdf land degradation control and its global environmental. Thus, arthur and jeanette conacher defined land degradation as alterations to. Land degradation can be defined in several ways depending upon the subject that needs to be emphasized. Natural causes of land degradation are earth quakes, tsuna mis, droughts. Land degradation is the most important environmental problem curr. The following are the research question of the study.
In states like odisha, jharkhand, madhya pradesh, chhattisgarh, deforestation due to mining has caused severe land degradation. These are the accepted, unedited articles published online and citable. 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. Deforestation and land degradation on the ethiopian highlands. The main outcome of land degradation is a substantial reduction in the productivity of land. The impact of climate change, desertification and land. Pollution, whenever we talk about pollution then the major things we get in our mind is water pollution and air pollution. Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices.
Causes of land degradation and desertification in india land degradation. Land degradation, soil erosion and soil conservation pmf ias. Land degradation is a global problem largely related to agricultural use. 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. Soil degradation is, in itself, an indicator of land degradation.
Economics of land degradation in china springerlink. Serious land degradation in nauru after the depletion of the phosphate cover through mining. 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. Environmental degradation means reduction in the quality of the environment due to man made and natural factors. Made by aunj raut krishna sashank land degredation 2. 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. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and the. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by. Soil degradation is a serious global environmental problem and may be exacerbated by climate change. Land clearance, such as clearcutting and deforestation. Population pressure including urban sprawl and commercial development. The various forms of land degradation are discussed.
It is one of the major causes of low and declining agricultural productivity and continuing food insecurity and rural poverty. History, nature, causes, consequences, and solutions conacher, arthur encyclopedia of life support systems eolss above. Livestock including overgrazing inappropriate irrigation. Soil erosion is a natural process that removes soil from the land. 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. The forest is still there, but with fewer trees, or less species of trees, plants or animals, or some of them affected by plagues. The effect of deterrents on land degradation only applies in those areas using land extensively. Unesco eolss sample chapters water resources management vol. It encompasses physical soil erosion, chemical salinity and alkalinity, pollution and biological deterioration pollution and. Causes and consequences of land degradation in india gktoday. Desertification and the associated loss of vegetation, causes. The direct cause of land degradation is mismanagement of the land by man.
Thus, in order to prevent these adverse consequences, we should take several measures in our daily life. The productivity of grassland and forest resources, in addition to that of cropland, is embodied in this definition. Land is a vital resource to humankind, like air and water. Overview on degradation of land due to over grazing in ethiopia. 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. Land degradation is equally cause and effect of poverty klaus topfer. While dramatic vegetation changes occurred during the. The soil integrates a variety of important processes involving vegetation growth, overland flow of water, infiltration, land use and land management. The changes in area of forest by region and subregion are shown in table 1.
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. 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. Effects focus on atmosphere, human health and nature. The causes, types and effects of land degradation are addressed in the next paragraphs. Finally, we estimate the costs of land degradation in china and compare them with the costs of inaction. In turn, unsustainable land use is driving land degradation. Land degradation is a change to land that makes it less useful for human beings.
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