Page 1 - 2

Topic : Introduction To Land Degradation.

Land degradation​ is a process in which the value of the ​biophysical environment​ is affected by a
combination of ​human-induced processes​ acting upon the land.​[1]​ It is viewed as any change or
disturbance​ to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable.​[2]​ ​Natural hazards​ are excluded
as a cause; however human activities can indirectly affect phenomena such as floods and bush fires.
This is considered to be an important topic of the ​21st century​ due to the implications land
degradation has upon agricultural ​productivity​, the environment, and its effects on ​food security​.[3]​
​ It
is estimated that up to 40% of the world's agricultural land is seriously degraded
There are four main ways of looking at land degradation and its impact on the environment around it:
1. A temporary or permanent decline in the ​productive capacity​ of the land. This can be
seen through a loss of ​biomass​, a loss of actual productivity or in potential
productivity, or a loss or change in ​vegetative cover​ and ​soil nutrients​.
2. Action in the land's capacity to provide resources for human livelihoods. This can be
measured from a base line of past land use.
3. Loss of ​biodiversity​: A loss of range of species or ecosystem complexity as a decline
in the environmental quality.
4. Shifting ecological risk: increased vulnerability of the environment or people to
destruction or crisis. This is measured through a base line in the form of pre-existing
risk of crisis or destruction.
A problem with defining land degradation is that what one group of people might view as
degradation, others might view as a benefit or opportunity. For example, planting ​crops​ at a location
with heavy ​rainfall​ and steep slopes would create scientific and environmental concern regarding the
risk of ​soil erosion by water​, yet farmers could view the location as a favourable one for high ​crop
yields​.[5]
​
In addition to the usual types of land degradation that have been known for centuries (water, wind
and mechanical ​erosion​, physical, chemical and ​biological degradation​), four other types have
emerged in the last 50 years:​[6]

● pollution​, often chemical, due to ​agricultural​, industrial, ​mining​ or commercial activities;

● loss​ of arable land due to ​urban construction​, ​road building​, ​land conversion​, ​agricultural
expansion​, etc.;
● artificial radioactivity​, sometimes accidental;
● land-use constraints associated with ​armed conflicts​.
Overall, more than 36 types of land degradation can be assessed. All are induced or aggravated by
human activities, e.g. ​sheet erosion​, ​silting​, ​aridification​, ​salinization​, ​urbanization​, etc.

Page 3-4 : Causes of Land Degradation .

Land degradation is a global problem largely related to ​agricultural​ use. Causes include:
● Land clearance, such as ​clearcutting​ and ​deforestation
● Agricultural depletion of soil ​nutrients​ through poor farming practices
● Livestock​ including ​overgrazing​ and ​overdrafting
● Inappropriate ​irrigation​[7]​ and ​overdrafting
● Urban sprawl​ and commercial development
● Vehicle ​off-roading
● Quarrying​ of stone, sand, ore and minerals
● Increase in field size due to ​economies of scale​, reducing shelter for wildlife, as
hedgerows​ and ​copses​ disappear
● Exposure of naked soil after harvesting by heavy equipment
● Monoculture​, destabilizing the local ecosystem
● Dumping of non-​biodegradable​ trash, such as ​plastics
● Invasive Species
● Soil degradation​, e.g.
○ Soil contamination
○ Soil erosion
○ Soil acidification
○ Loss of ​soil carbon

Overcutting​ of vegetation occurs when people cut forests, woodlands and shrublands—to obtain
timber​, ​fuelwood​ and other products—at a pace ​exceeding the rate of natural regrowth​. This is
frequent in semi-arid environments, where ​fuelwood​ shortages are often severe.
Overgrazing​ is the grazing of natural pastures at stocking intensities above the livestock ​carrying
capacity​; the resulting decrease in the vegetation cover is a leading cause of wind and water
erosion. It is a significant factor in Afghanistan. The growing population pressure, during 1980–1990,
has led to decreases in the already small areas of agricultural land per person in six out of eight
countries (14% for India and 21% for Pakistan).
Population pressure​ also operates through other mechanisms. Improper agricultural practices, for
instance, occur only under constraints such as the saturation of good lands under population
pressure which leads settlers to cultivate too shallow or too steep soils, plough fallow land before it
has recovered its fertility, or attempt to obtain multiple crops by irrigating unsuitable soils.
High population density is not always related to land degradation. Rather, it is the practices of the
human population that can cause a landscape to become degraded. Populations can be a benefit to
the land and make it more productive than it is in its natural state. Land degradation is an important
factor of internal displacement in many African and Asian countries.​[8]
Severe land degradation affects a significant portion of the Earth's arable lands, decreasing the
wealth and ​economic development​ of nations. As the land resource base becomes less productive,
food security​ is compromised and competition for dwindling ​resources​ increases, the seeds of
famine​ and potential conflict are sown.
Page 5 - 6 : TYPES OF LAND DEGRADATION :

Types of soil degradation include: 1) Soil erosion by water: the removal of soil particles by the
action of water. Usually seen as sheet erosion (a more or less uniform removal of a thin layer of
topsoil), rill erosion (small channels in thefield) or gully erosion (large channels, similar to incised
rivers). One important feature of soil erosion by water is the selective removal of the finer and
more fertile fraction of the soil. 2) Soil erosion by wind: the removal of soil particles by wind
action. Usually this is sheet erosion, where soil is removed in thin layers, but sometimes the
effect of the wind can carve out hollows and other features. Wind erosion most easily occurs
with fine to medium size sand particles. 3) Soil fertility decline: the degradation of soil physical,
biological and chemical properties. Erosion leads to reduced soil productivity, as do: a)
Reduction in soil organic matter, with associated decline in soil biological activity; b)
Degradation of soil physical properties as a result of reduced organic matter (structure, aeration
and water-holding capacity may be affected); c) Changes in soil nutrient content leading to
deficiencies, or toxic levels, of nutrients essential for healthy plant growth; d) Build up of toxic
substances – e.g. pollution, incorrect application of fertilisers. 4) Waterlogging: caused by a rise
in groundwater close to the soil surface or inadequate drainage of surface water, often resulting
from poor irrigation management. As a result of waterlogging, water saturates the root zone
leading to oxygen deficiency. 5) Increase in salts: this could either be salinization, an increase in
salt in the soil water solution, or sodication, an increase of sodium cations (Na+ ) on the soil
particles. Salinization often occurs in conjunction with poor irrigation management. Mostly,
sodication tends to occur naturally. Areas where the water table fluctuates may be prone to
sodication. 6) Sedimentation or 'soil burial': this may occur through flooding, where fertile soil is
buried under less fertile sediments; or wind blows, where sand inundates grazing lands;or
catastrophic events such as volcanic eruptions. In addition to these principal types of soil
degradation, other common types of land degradation include: 7) Lowering of the water table:
this usually occurs where extraction of groundwater has exceeded the natural recharge capacity
of the water table. 8) Loss of vegetation cover: vegetation is important in many ways. It protects
the soil from erosion by wind and water and it provides organic material to maintain levels of
nutrients essential for healthy plant growth. Plant roots help to maintain soil structure and
facilitate water infiltration. 9) Increased stoniness and rock cover of the land: this would usually
be associated with extreme levels of soil erosion causing exhumation of stones and rock.

Page 7-9 : Soil Degradation In India

India faces a growing crisis of land degradation: Nearly 30% of its land area, as much as
the area of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra put together, has been ​degraded
through deforestation, over-cultivation, soil erosion and depletion of wetlands.
This land loss is not only whittling away India’s gross domestic product by 2.5% every year
and affecting its crop yield, but also exacerbating ​climate change ​events in the country
which, in turn, are causing even greater degradation, as we discuss later.

India has ​pledged​ to restore 5 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. But this is just
1.5% of the country's geographical area, 28.5 percentage points less than the total land left
degraded.

For countries like India that are ​highly vulnerable​ to climate change, land degradation is a
critical issue. Degraded land loses its capacity to absorb carbon-dioxide (CO2), a
greenhouse gas (GHG) that is ​the biggest factor​ in worsening global warming.

Over ​600 million​ people risk the impact of ​climate change ​in India and if land degradation is
not addressed, the problem could get more acute. The country is home to 18% of the
world's population with only 2.4% of its land.

Land degradation, as we said earlier, is caused by extreme weather events and this, in turn,
is impacting the earth’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide, further speeding up climate
change. These ​statistics​ show why land degradation needs concerted global action:

● Over 1 million species on earth are on the verge of extinction, threatening global
food security, largely due to habitat loss and land degradation
● Three out of every four hectares of land have been altered from their natural states
and the productivity of about one in every four hectares of land is declining
● Land degradation in tandem with climate change and biodiversity loss will force up to
700 million people to migrate by 2050

The global food system--including pre- and post-production activities--accounts for 37% of
total human-caused GHG emissions. Agriculture, ​deforestation ​and other land-use activities
specifically account for 23% of GHG emissions from human activities, said the report on
land degradation.

Forests: ​About 23% of GHG emissions from human activities come from the overuse of
chemical fertilisers, soil erosion, ​deforestation ​and change in land use, as mentioned earlier.
Managing these resources is important as they are fast depleting.

Forests are one of the most important solutions to climate change. India has lost 1.6 million
hectare of forest cover over 18 years to 2018, about four times the geographical area of
Goa, ​Hindustan Times​ ​reported​ on April 26, 2019. The government allowed felling of more
than ​10 million​ trees in India over five years to 2015.
Over 500 projects in India’s protected areas and eco-sensitive zones were cleared by the
National Board of Wildlife over the first four years of the Narendra Modi-led National
Democratic Alliance government between June 2014 and May 2018. In comparison, the
preceding United Progressive Alliance government had cleared 260 projects between 2009
and 2013, ​IndiaSpend​ ​reported​ in September 2019

To fight climate change the Indian government has ​pledged​ to get 33% of its geographical
area under forest cover by 2022, compared to the existing 24%. This would require the
government to increase the forest cover by nearly 2% every year till 2022. Forest cover in
India, however, ​increased​ only by 1% over two years to 2017.

Degradation of India’s forests is depriving the country of 1.4% of its GDP annually,
according to a ​study​ by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), a Delhi-based non profit,
that ​IndiaSpend ​cited in this June 2019 ​report​.

Water Scarcity: ​The dryland population vulnerable to water stress and drought intensity is
projected to reach 178 million under the most ideal conditions of 1.5 deg-C warming by
2050. The stressed population will increase to 220 million at 2 deg-C, and 270 million at 3
deg-C warming, said the IPCC report on land.

This has significant implications for India where about ​69% ​of the total geographical area is
under dry lands that include arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid stretches.

With ​600 million​ people facing extreme to high water stress, which is about half of the
country's population, India is the 17th most water-stressed country in the world, tailing the
countries which receive almost half the annual rainfall as India, ​IndiaSpend​ ​reported​ on
August 6, 2019.

Page 9-11 : How to Protect Against Land Degradation

Though the subjects of "land", "agriculture" and "water" are subjects with the States as

per the Constitution, the concerns for arresting and reversing land degradation and

desertification have been reflected in many of the national policies for nearly 40 years.

Current policies and key legislation (many of them revised versions of earlier policies)

include The National Water Policy 2012; National Forest Policy 1988; National

Agricultural Policy 2000; Forest (Conservation) Act 1980; Environment (Protection) Act

1986; National Environmental Policy 2006; National Policy for Farmers 2007; National
Agroforestry Policy 2014 etc which have enabling provisions for addressing these

problems.

The evolution of schemes and programmes to address the various aspects of land

degradation actually reflect the progressive acquisition of knowledge and development

of improved packages of practice, as well as the shifts in focus based on national

priorities. Some of the key milestones along this process include:

● Adoption of watershed approach and planning based on micro-watersheds; use

of remote sensing data and spatial data in planning at the micro-watershed level
● Integrated treatment incorporating contouring, gully plugging, vegetative as well
as engineering-based solutions for soil-moisture conservation, covering
agricultural as well as non-agricultural lands. Joint Forest Management (JFM)
and Social Fencing by involving local communities.
● Integrated farming based approach incorporating fodder and fuelwood supply,
farm-forestry and agroforestry and silvi-pastures; stall feeding, improved chullahs
etc.
● Focus on water management, aquifer recharge and water budgeting as well as
crop planning
● Focus on social aspects: participative planning at micro-watershed level; transect
walk; Constitution of Watershed Committee under the Gram Sabha; Water User
Association development; social audit.
● Incorporation of livelihood related activities and development of
micro-enterprises; involvement of Self-Help Groups (SHGs); programmes such
as Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) focusing on increasing
capabilities women farmers with a view to increasing sustainability.
● Adoption of climate-adaptation related solutions both with regard to floods and
intense precipitation as well as temperature and moisture stress, and orienting
employment generation programmes like MGNREGA in this direction.
 ● Increasing the role of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and ensuring
"convergence" between Government programmes and programmes executed by
PRIs.

Unfinished tasks and the way forward

Though it would seem that there has been very substantial development with regard to

the national imperative of checking land degradation, the visible impact of programmes

on the ground is clearly less than impressive. A provisional diagnostic would suggest:

● Insufficient coverage by government programmes for addressing land

degradation primarily because of funding constraints but also because of
management and technical capacity constraints.
● Need to focus on more sustainable agricultural practices. Depleting groundwater,
the spread of problem soils (acidic, saline & alkaline), loss of soil organic carbon
(SOC) and yield plateaus manifest the different dimensions of the problem and
challenge.
● Perverse incentives such as free power for groundwater pumping; nitrogenous
fertilizer subsidy; Minimum Support Price (MSP) only for a few crops (thus
influencing crop choice) etc. may be causing degradation of additional areas.

In the last analysis sustainable management of land (and water) resources have to be

by, and in close collaboration with, local communities. It is no coincidence that the few

outstanding examples of sustainable management are all traceable to visionary local

leadership supported by the host communities and assisted by public policies for

sustainable use of resources, infrastructure creation, knowledge accretion and

transmission, and development of entrepreneurship. Checking and reversing land

degradation has to be essentially based on self-regulatory practices with regard to a

sustainable use of resources and energy. The task of public policies must include

incentivisation of such regulation.

Finally Last Few Pages

Conclusion --------------------- 1
Bibliography -------------------------- 2
Acknowledgement ------------------------------- 3

In the beginning of the project

Project name on one whole page -------------------------------------------------1

Index - ----------------------------------------------------- 2

Hence Pages Required ------------ 5 apart from the project :