Land Resources only aftr the last tree has been cut doy, onlyatter the last river has been poison, “nlyafter the last fish has been cougy llyou find that money cannot be eat, Native American Prope only then MAIN QUESTIONS ADDRESSED «© Whats the state of the world’s land surface and soil” ‘* What is the scale of desertification? ‘* What is the state of global agriculture an« KEYWORDS AND PHRASES jesertification, dietary energy supply, ' ‘organic farming, overfishing, Punjab, so \d food production? Global Hunger Index, Green Revolution, natura wasteland reclamation, waterlogging Genetic Modification, n, UNCCD, THE STORY OF PUNJAB: POVERTY OF PLENTY? Punjab has been known as India’s granary and a to buy tractors and other machinery. As their cash uni ery ofthe Green Revolution. Today, however, income grew, more machinery and chemicals followed it Is a story of degraded soil, depleted water tables, ‘Soon, with higher Incomes, the farmers’ lifestyle reduced productivity, and farmer suicides. How did too began to change; large and small brick houses things change so quickly? ‘Approximately in the mid-1960s, a whole new package was developed by the agricultural university in Ludhiana and implemented throughout Punjab with unprecedented energy. It consisted of a high yielding dwarf wheat seed, a regimen of chemical fertilizer and pesticide use, and most importantly, an iresistible bait of a guaranteed lucrative support price. ‘The subsistence farmers were initially suspicious of the chemicals but the package as a whole was offered on. the basis of take itor leave it The yields, however, were high and the farmers began to prosper. As the farmers’ income rose, they pagent Seah te land area under wheat and rice 1 limits. As cultivation became more intensive and Farmers busy with threshir gapbetween cropsnarrowed,the farmersfelttheneed Credit ego Chapter opening Image Credit: IndiaPicture/Mahatta Multimedia Pvt.Ltd Scanned with CamScannerfeplace traditional mud structures; modern euch as Tefrigerators and motorized two. 95 well a5 Cars came into fashion, Clothes gee fancier and people more sedentary, Now, | unjab farmers use labour from Bihar, some s jepend on them. Many more young men and seek college education than 20 years ago. rabits have changed. The list is endless, Under ces, even if the farmers want to stop ‘the lucrative cereal crops, they cannot, {s, however, another side to this story of ney. the soll has now lost its natural capacity Pent the crops and the farmers have to keep ang moreand more fertilizers, Naturally, the cost of tion is going up. It was not a good idea to grow reavy cops of cereals on the same land year after s water table is also going down. The farmers ye now caught in the vice-like grip of high-input cand Sesources Ti Cultivation, many are in deep debt, and some have committed suicide Pre Another disturbing fact is the extraordinary Number of cancer cases in Punjab, particularly in the fertile Malwa belt. It is widely believed that this is due tothe excessive use of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, which have directly affected the farmers a aie Polluted the ground water (Chapter 17, Box Some farmers are also concerned about the long- term effects of the poisons they spray on the crops and the soil. For example, they notice the effect on birds. One old farmer says, ‘The birds are more or less gone. There are no vultures to eat the dead animals. In fact, one does not see or hear any birds except an occasional crow, dove, or egret. | think this is a bad ‘omen, but most people do not seem to care! What does the future hold for this state? Agriculture and fisheries are among the most climate-sensitive sectors. Extreme weather will have immediate adverse impacts on food production and on livelihood assets, thus worsening the living conditions of farmers and fishers who are already vulnerable and food-insecure. Hunger and malnutrition will increase. What does the Punjab Crisis Tell Us? Indeed, things have changed in tables, and increasing use of chemi problems are now common in many parts examine the reasons for the crisis. Punjab. But problems like soil degradation, falling water ‘cals are not unique to Punjab. Such environmental of India and the world. In this chapter, we will Whats the Importance of Land as a Natural Resource? The land area of the earth, On Yet, it is vital for our existence since It! becomes a dump for forms the basis for human settlements about 140 million sq km, occupies less thana third of the surface. is land that: . preserves terrestrial biodiversity and the genetic pool, regulates the water and carbon cycles, acts as the store of basic resources like gro solid and liquid waste, and wund water, minerals, and fossil fuels, and transport activities. What is the condition of the world’s land surface? UN studies estimate that 23% example) has been degraded to such an exte r ; t fuelwood consumption, overgrazing, agricultural mismanagement oor crop rotation, poor soil and water management, excessive Causes are deforestation, : (Planting unsuitable crops, P- ‘input of chemicals, frequent use of heavy industries, and urbanization. of all usable land (excluding mountains and deserts, for xtent that its productivity is affected. The main machinery like tractors, etc.), establishment of Scanned with CamScanneree Environmental Studies Importance of Soil? mixture of rock particl lions of microorganism: due to physical, Whatis the Soilisa complex wate, ai, and billions break down into particles i lium in wh Poli jon for agriculture and the medi a Solisthe foundation or agriculture and he weston ns “ food-producing plants ; ay ring edo i in thickness, supports all plant grog, so ee ce epport system forall organisms, includ porn Soil also supports other vegetation that is cultivated fy animal feed, fibre, fuel, and medicinal products. - Healthy soil supplies the essential ue a ‘a 4 SBE a root support that plants need to grow and flourish. : jortage ofan one of the 15 nutrients required for plant growth can limit crop yield, Soils on earth also: rticles, minerals, organic may, 3s, Soil forms when ro chemical, and biologi, Allour food crops grow on soil Janet’s biodiversity and host a quarter of the total, nda hata Multimedia Pt. Support our planet's bi ity s a « help us in combating and adapting to climate change by playing a key role in the carbon cycle. store and filter water, improving our resilience to floods and droughts. * serve asa buffer to protect delicate plant roots from drastic fluctuations in temperature. Soil, however, is a finite resource, meaning its loss and degradation is not recoverable within a human lifespan, It can take up to 1000 years to form 1 em of soil. Thus, its preservation s essential for food security and our sustainable future, Our soils are in danger because of expanding cities, deforestation, unsustainable land use and management practices, rate of soil degradation threatens the capacity to meet the ne: Promotion of sustainable soil and land management is centeal system, improved rural livelihood, What is the state of soil in India? There are more than 20 There t types and subtypes of soil is nia, The main types ate alluvial, laterite, black, Tad pentain, and desert soils, In most parts of nila, the soil has been degraded due to the samme factors listed in the previous section. Whats the Scale of Di esertificati s being Done about it? ification and What! Soil erosion leading to desertifcati " ‘ Credit: IndiaPicture/Mahatta Multimedia Pvt. Ltd 2 Shee a eae is Scanned with CamScannerLand Resources Cat clearly progressing ‘skin disease? saderstood, but estima ot et the planet. The deserticaton problem semains poorly moderately degraded. Furthee ia qr ® thied of all agricultural lan is either highly or gue to desertification and drought Hea! ha of productive land become barren every year Land degradation : ceantren peje Problem that affects all regions, not only the drylands and developing countries. Drylands are 5 more vulnerabl ion due to the small water containment in eo rable to natural and human destruction di One-fifth of the world’s Population is threatened by the impacts of global desertification. a Se ain Nev ae aver the world in Asia, the Aflcan Sahel, Latin America eRe ie along the Mediterranean. Cultivable land per person is shrinkang throughout the world, threatening food security, particularly in poor rural areas, and triggering humanitarian and economic crises. Fertile topsoil takes centuries to form, but it can be washed or blown away in a few seasons. Human activities such as over-cultivation, deforestation, and poor irrigation practices, combined with climate change, are turning once fertile soils into barren patches of land, When large barren patches merge together, a desert comes up. The international community has long recognized that desertification is a major economic, social, and environmental problem of concern to many countries in all regions of the world. The Earth Summit in 1992 supported a new, integrated approach to the problem, emphasizing action to promote sustainable development at the community level. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was adopted in 1994 and entered into force in 1996. Over 190 countries are now parties to the Convention. UNCCD is the international legal framework for tackling desertification, land degradation, and drought. Box 8.1 gives the touching introduction given in a 2014 Report of UNCCD. _ 7 In 2014, UN Convention to Combat Desertification WNCCD) released a new edition of its report Desertification: The Invisible Frontline. Here is the introduction to the Report: To fight or to flee? These are the stark choices Nara, a single mother from the Bangalala midlands ‘of Tanzania, faces repeatedly. Her choice, along with those of families like hers, is felt all over the world. | ter the ans failed for afew years, some neighbours ‘ined our trees were drawing too much water from the | pend we cut them down. Our harvests el My mother her sta atthe local market. Thats when my father ‘0nd moved from the midlands to the Ruvu Mferejini river |al.. But where we moved to, my crop also failed last Tarot why earl this year Il moved yet again, but! an ather behind. hope to farm here much longer, as! veut the people Ileft behind with my father will have to 100, But when will this moving end? | cannot afford ns not an isolated case, Maia isin the same that’ women in’ Darfur, «Mall, Chad, or Were in before local conflicts over water oF land tured into civil wars, sexual violence, or genocide. Nor is this situation unique to sub-Saharan Africa, where a majority lives off the land and desertification {sa constant threat to their livelihood. More than 1.5 billion people in the world depend con degrading land, and 74% of them, like Maria, are poor. More than 160 countries have declared they are affected by desertification. Desertification is a silent, invisible crisis that is destabilizing communities on a global scale. As the effects of climate change undermine livelihood, inter- ethnic clashes are breaking out within and across states and fragile states are turning to militarization to control the situation. The effects of desertification are increasingly felt globally as victims turn into refugees, internally displaced people, and forced migrants or they turn to radicalization, extremism, or resource- driven wars for survival. Changing weather events are threatening the livelthood of more and more people, survival options are declining, and state capacities are overburdened. _ ‘More should be done to combat desertification, reverse Scanned with CamScannerEnvironmental Studies ee AVM FAllbities ace just rw choices: ight o, and degtadation, and mitigate the effects of drought. dependent con \ Otherwise, many small-scale farmers and poor land- fight eae na How Serious are Waterlogging and Soil Salinity? When irrigation is not accompa ‘This in turn brings salt to the surface, ¥ asa thin crust on the land surface. Rapid evapo! er drainage, waterlogging occy,, ration of ground water also add, galtto the sil. ‘ some of the countries worst affeceg Pakistan, Egy Ind and a ae 90% of all farmland suffers from by slinicaton a inn, ter thrds of all irigated land is salinized. In Inga waterlogging. 7 i a 12-25% of land is waterlogged or salinize What are the Measures being Taken to Prevent Desertification and Restore Degraded Land? Among the practical measures undertaken to prevent and restore iden are prevention of soil erosion; improved carly warning system and water resource agement, sustainable pasture, forest, and livestock management; aero-seeding over shifting sand dunes; narrow strip planting, windbreaks, and shelterbelts of live plants; agroforestry ecosystems, afforestation and reforestation; introduction of new species and varieties with a capacity to tolerate salinity and/or aridity; and environmentally sound human settlements. You can get more information from the UNCCD Secretariat. What is Wasteland Reclamation? Wasteland is land, which is deteriorating due to natural causes or due to the lack of appropriate water and soil management, Such land is left uncultivated or under-utilized. We have in India about 70 millon ha of wasteland, Wasteland reclamation is the process by ‘which such lands are brought again under vegetative cover and made productive. Some steps that could be taken for wasteland reclamation are: * Soil conservation through harvesting * Wdentitication of pioneer species, which can grow fast even in poor soil, grow lots of bio- ‘mass in a short time, fix nitrogen, and withstand both drought and flood. They should alko be of some economic value and be unpalatable to cattle, teri pioneer specie a eeenclh secondary species of indigenous trees are planted. Thes uit, oiled, or timber trees. Over a fe i i regular cultivation could be started. This kind of palit’ et ea ona iy What is the Impact of | Urbanization and Industrialization on Land? More than 50% of the work : ld’s population now i fapected to go up. Urban areas constantly need m contour bunds and water conservation through rainwater ives in urban areas and this figure is industries, leisure activities, and the like an1 ea rere 84 for settlements, infastructu more agricultural and gets converted int ban en ate PSE ON land. More a8 : " lonies. Larger cit Target areas ide eas rolonies. Larger cities affect even large! Outside them, thanks to ther wid logical Footprint (Chapter 1). Scanned with CamScannerLand Resource: We see solid waste piled wy ; "dumps of waste brou; ight fror tpeen degraded due to waste di Urban agriculture h: tied Meer a aes expanding globally over the past 25 years, In Sao Paulo in } for example, urban home gardens have been very successful. While urban agriculture provi ture provides locally grown fc y - can also cause pollution of water and sod it eee ee ene What is the future of land as a resource? P on many urban streets. Outside the city, there are large the city. It is est 1 . an ee aul ka ed that about 2 million ha of land have With increasi We Pie Nees Population, there will be intense pressure on land, particularly in Ee cares sae land use will be needed to feed the people. More land will Cee re by converting forests and grasslands. Climate change will Where does the World’s Food Come from? Food comes from three sources: * croplands that provide 76% of i : of the total, mostly grains rangelands that produce meat mostly from grazing livestock, accounting for about 17% of the total food fisheries that supply the remaining 7%. What is the Global Food Availability? ‘The dietary energy supply (DES) is the food available for human consumption, expressed, in kilocalories per person per day. At the country level, its calculated as the food remaining for human use after taking out all non-food utilization, including exports, industrial use, © animal feed, seed, wastage, and changes in stocks. In 1961, the average global DES was se low as 2193 kcal/person/day. By 2011, it had reached 2868 keal/person/day, and was centered more on a narrow base of staple grains as well as meat and dairy products. Since an average person needs 2000 to 2500 kcal/day, we could say that avin there is enough food in the world. The problem, however, is that many people aah tocd for fp are too poor to buy the available food. In 2010-2012, about 870 million people— Sey erintne [por one in eight persons in the world—did not consume enough food to cover their ‘iminimuin dietary energy requirements. Of these people, 850 million \vare in developing countries, making up 15% of the total population of these countries. Whats the State of Food Production and Hunger in India? P 3 Indian agriculture is considered a success story. Despite uncertain weather and price sho‘ in the past few years, it has done remarkably well fn terms of output growth, India now produces annually 250-260 milion tonnes of food grains 5 million tonnes of meat products, ere ailion tonnes of fish. The increase in grain production since the 1960s is ascribed toth Revolution. ; j ° Whe he production thas been high, the availabilty has been a diferent stony. Between 1972 and 199], the average Per capita net availability of food grains went on increasing every five-year period. Since 1991, howeven it declined in every five-year period without exception. Scanned with CamScanner— Environmental Studies are different across VATIOUS section, sarriteie Gu .d the causes rt, 190.7 million p.." ‘Hunger in India is penny eat toa 2014 ae ate (ealaniaes wat the society and across the country: According © © oso ef . is i India is 59 years of age are ana, are undernourished in India. Thus, ia tween 15 and 59 yee ae em ree eee es eee inlerweight. Malnourished children j," and 44% of children her risk of deat ses such as ae i diarrhoea, pneumonia, hi death from common childhood illness : higher risk of ‘The Global Hunger In 78 countries on the basis of yp, : ia at 63 out of 78 ct 3 4 ger Index ranks India at 63 out s ating ina cee aie of underweight in children Gate years, ie hi : aly rate aa the proportion of undernourished in the population. On the other hang mortality rate, 1 i duced are lost, ly 40% of fruits and vegetables and 20% of food grains bauch areas lost due ig ineffiient supply chain management and do not reach the cons 2 What is Meant by the Green Revolution and What has been Its Impact? zpb 2 The Green Revolution (See also Chapter 9) pees to ee rend half ofthe rca ; ally i ing countries, during the s ; ie production, especially in the developing counties ieee century, primarily through the use of lab-engine eg ratit hailed as a success story of agricultural science and technology. It is now clear, however, thy ithas brought in its wake many problems too. 1 ' In the mile of the last century there were severe food shortages in many developing countries. With growing populations, countries like India had to import food. The answer, this problem came from Mexico. Oats « In the early 1940s, Mexico's wheat yields were low and the country was importing 50% of its food. Under a research programme set up to increase the production of grains, American agricultural scientist, Norman E, Borlaug developed a high-yielding variety o stheat through new concepts in plant breeding It was a variety that could respond to hig inputs of fertilizer and irrigation. Between 1950 and 1965, Mexican wheat yields increase 400% and a Green Revolution was born. seig’ rTit 1960s, the Green Revolution was fully adopted in India too, The new high Yiding varieties (HYVs) increased the production and made multi ‘Ultimately, India achieved self-sufficiency in food, ‘The Green Revolution, however, was a clear shift from traditional agri sa ate nal agriculture. It cam a @ package of HYVs along with high inputs of chemical fertilizer, pesticide, water, atl an energy-intensive method: ypart from the f the inputs, en i ton the machinery and to pump water, ae magia tered cropping possible increased yields dramatically it isa high-input system that has ; dito be i hax esradedtesoi, PP the whole, the Crees Relation hae bese pay Eee aty ee fables, reduced Subsstence farmers, (Recall the story of Punjab) Sea aed a biodiversity, and A large mumber of tradition vatietes ts inpovershedtbe Mf just 12 HYVs proide most eo Worlds fee 2, disappeared, Cures small farmer. diseases and pest a ¢ pod and they are more prose Scanned with CamScannersto be Land Resources en getting degrad: esexieals ‘graded and drained of its nutrients through the excessive use of Large-scale use of pestici other organisms. We ‘willooet ae es affected the health of human beings and many By 2050, agricultural prod ete le poisoning and related issues in Chapter 17. jn developing cor sk must increase by 60% globally—and ih 100% will have to come from the same amount of land we now have and by using less water and other inputs. Climate change is als ir i oeoing farmer with ve = he ; pelea the environment in which crops are grown, vat isthe Way out for Agriculture? Seiad id sadeal a popes sila spi chews in Tea an oir countries show beyond any on : system of chemical agriculture with constant increasing inputs of fertilizers, pesticides, and water is unsustainable. tan ae One vay out of the crisis is the gradual shift from chemical agriculture to organic farming. Organic farming does not use chemical fertilizers and ‘chemical pesticides. It is in fact a return to the traditional methods like crop rotation, use of animal and green manures, and some forms of biological control of pests. Organic farming is based on the following principles: © Nature is the best role model for farming since it uses neither and does not demand excessive water. © Soil is a living system and not an inert bow! for dumping chemicals. © Soils living populations of microbes and other organisms are significant contrib- vwtors to ite fertility on a sustained basis and must be protected and nurtured at all costs. «The total environment of the soil—from soil structure to soil overs more important than any nutrients we may wish to pump into it chemicals nor poisons Organic farming can, over a period of time, reverse soil degradation and improve soil heath. Conversion to organic farming will’ mean initial problems and economic losses as the soll recovers, but it will be a better option in the long term, ‘Worldwide, there is an active movement towards organic farming and farmers can get advice and support from many groups. . ‘ ‘Organic farming is used as a general label for the following systems of agriculture: «Reliance on the sol’s natural fertility enhanced through composting and vermiculture: While simple composting is the natural conversion of organic matter into manure, vermiculture uses earthworms to speed up the procesk Seas oh farming: No-llage, no-chemicals, and no-weeding method of farming, pio- neered by Masanobu Fukuoka of Japan. oe + Biodynamic farming: Exploiting bio- and solar rhythms in farming, based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner. : ; oO no-intensive farming: Intensive garden cultivation vsiig deep-dug beds Keyldea organic [pp * Permaculture: "An approach that goes beyond organic farming, developed farming isa by Bill Molison and David Holmgren in Australia. an othe « BISA: Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture developed by Dutch farm- ral crisis, crs and scientists committed to organic farming, Scanned with CamScannerasics Environmental studies has been proposed ay yf crops jg a modern branch of «. Engineering © or Genetic Engineer ear Whatare Genetically Modified Crops? d agri Genetic Mocification (GM) culture: Or jon that uses biologi mate answer to the probl me nological ApPUCAL ON aes the ultim: {0 ne Fine defined as any ' sre processes for specific Use, biotechnology, which cant ake or mod roduc ary, practised by farmers singe ems or Hiving OF ant breeding ame animal eding. Biotechnology include P many years O e ge makeup of 27 organism through the ‘na laboratory by introducing tural processes 100) of cells that contain res. Such nat . Fs the direct 0 : GM, howeyen he Aue naturally. Tei USN Tp is composed NA molecule of an organism ol te made of molecules cal Tee sepraans information about its characterises nd) behaso gtk me GN marr i other Thus, GM can make aplantresistant to specific favourable gene frome ie rand Bt Brinjal are examples. Br stands for the bacterium Bacil bargin si whi ch aaa i mei pesticide. Each strain of this bacterium specifically kills : hi a of inset larvae, Scientist introduce the Bt gene into the plants rae, Reures te substance tat destroys the Pes. plans with some desired characteristics, eichat race to drought and salinity. However, there ction of GM crops. one ora few own genetic material, Then the plant m GM can also produce new varieties 0 herbicide toletance, virus tolerance, and resist are strong opinions in favour of and against the introd ‘Those who support GM crops give arguments such as: «= GMis the only way to produce enough to feed the increasing world population. F Ptonts wil be yesistant fo pests, droughts, water salinity, and even climate change. © There will be a reduction in the use of fertilizers and pesticides. ‘Those who oppose GM raise questions such as: © How do we know the unintended consequences of GM foods, such as long-term ef fects on humans and other organisms? © We know that a GM crop contaminates the non-GM varieties grown nearby. What woul be the fe of such contamination on biological diversity? Can the farmer grow seeds for the next planting or is he Toyide tviae ent on the seed company? Would GM Iead to domsing i er Gikcrops arehailed fF few large companies? ration of agriculnne by asthe utimate © Isitethi : eee Isitethical and safe to introduce animal genes into plants and Vice versa? agricuturatersis, [J Bt Cotton is a GM questic crop currenth i ii ia i Sooner suet the results of ing BE Cours han 4 scaly in Ini ia large areas. Bete) major controv |, Meanwhile, Bt Brinjal created # bye gan US Corporation Montene tne ee developed joint and the Indian firm Mahyco. ium een Into the plant, The objective Isto give the tesistance agal resistance against certain Insects. i Scanned with CamScannerBrinjal created a controversy in India. The pone say that Bt Brinjal would be beneficial e mall farmers because it is insect-resistant and ease yields. The opponents have concerns about fpposble adverse Impact on human health and bio- sey velinood, and biodiversity. ‘The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee @o of the Ministry af Environment and Forests ) recommended the release of Bt Brinjal in India. However faced with opposition from several groups, Jairam Ramesh, the then Minister Environment and Forests, arranged public witations across the counti before taking a final non this issue. " ‘the end of the consfiftations in February 2010, isterimposed ‘a m rium on the release of Bt such time stu lish the safety of the ithe point! ‘of its long-term impact While agriculture is going through a crisis, its share of problems too. on human health and environment, including the rich genetic wealth existing in brinjal in our country, to the satisfaction of both the public and professionals: Sharad Pawar, the then Agriculture Minister, disagreed with the ban. He said that the ban would ‘set the clock back, demoralize Indian scientists, and jeopardize R&D crucial security. The then PM, Manmohan Singh, ‘ne a MoEF should not take such decisions unilatgialiy. ‘After Bt Brinjal, ther&Ngge many more GM food ‘crops awaiting GEAC’s approval—25 kinds of rice, 23 kinds of tomatoes, many types of groundnut, pigeon peas, potato, mustard, sugarcang)soy,and okra. In July 2014, GEAC cleared the field trial cep mustard, cotton, chickpea, and brinjal. ‘As we await the final, verdict, Id ask, “If Bt Brinjal is approved, what will happen to the 2500 indigenous brinjal varieties ‘ fisheries, the other major source of food, ha: How Important is Fish as a Food Source and Where does Fish Come from? ‘About 2 million people, mostly in the developing source of food. 55% of the fish comes from the ocean, inland freshwater fishing in rivers, lakes, reservoirs gpd production of fish in ponds and underwater cage as animal feed, fishmeal, agg.oils. * ~3 vast gpen from coastal waters within 300 km of the shoreline. It is a wrong notion that the global commercial fish catch comes 'sThere a Fisheries Crisis? The world’s fisheries are in fact Fish Sahin Pultions have been declining due to over \laPicture/Mahatta Multimedia Pvt. Ltd countries, depend on fish as their mair 33% from aquaculture, and 12% from ponds. Aquaculture is the artificia third of the world’s fish harvest is usec sea holds unlimited amount of fish, 80-90% o! in deep crisis. An environmental and social catastrophe i: in the making, but most consumers of fish do no perceive it. ‘A massive increase in global fishing begar in the 1950s and 1960s with the rapid inductior of new technology: factory trawlers, satellite positioning, acoustic fish finders, spotter. planes huge nets, etc. Industrial fishing technology employed in the modern trawlers operating in all the seas began locating and catching the last remnants of all varieties of fish stocks. Soon, the rate of harvest exceeded the rate of fish population The first sign of problem was the collapse of the world’s largest fishery, the Peruvian anchovy in 1972. The decline in the North Adantic started in Scanned with CamScannerironmental Studies RTT Eviron sent wos in New England sg fe i the next two decades, most 0! anend. , sae Goats sped Genres of shing uation cA Se, or ina sae o ea eaeaae eine feh sods are now fully exploited: VT decades in most ares po ue i lapse e-scal it ly to colle’ xhausted, the fle eee on cae ae aa Once the large + ish yer fh, there is further Pee i These being often the prey OF RE AT ne ocean floor ne the sm anwhile, we are also removing Che oe removes the species at the decline of the letter. Me ie, we a nga thr bottom trawling, . . See yma ni “The tragedy is that Testock feed. The rich countries needs, but by the demand for rae poe ation through heavy subsidies to actively encouraged (he Worexploitaton, fisheries are threatened by pollution of their fishers. Apart from fisheries 25, and undoubtedly climate water bodies, destruction of mangroves anc cor change. What is the State of India's Fisheries? , ‘The current annual fish production is about 9.6 million tonnes, with roughly equal share from marine and inland fisheries. About 500,000 tonnes of fish are exported. Ten million people depend directly or indirectly on fishing for their livelihood. The catch per vessel has been going down in all the coastal states. This is because there are about 35,000 small mechanized boats and 2 million artisanal crafts competing for the fish. ‘To add to the problems, the government announced a new deep sea fishing policy in 1991, opening up Indian seas to foreign vessels in the name of joint ventures. When industrial fleets have depleted the hitige fisheries of the Atlantic and the Pacific, how long will Indian stocks last? : India has about 1000 freshwater fish species,’ but this diversity is under threat. ia competition from newly-introduced exotic species, and pollution are taking ‘What is the Way out for Global Fisheries? Some recommendations given by experts to save global fisheries are: * Adopt an ecosystem-based approach was . Elin tng gear i dee neds of the ey shapes ¢ Establish marine reserves a8 no-ishis Move away from the notion that the eons ° elP Populations recover fro at the ocean will always 2; ‘traditional aquaculture inte ways give us all that we demand 7 ted wit ric Pld lds at appropriate seasons) *8Picuture (or example, raising fish in ¢ us now turn to mining, which samme, isamajor activity What are Minerals and Mining? Nosshums eplitaon of natural resus Scanned with CamScannerLand Resources Mining is the Process of extracti : and these include men ike mn and processing ‘minerals. Over 100 minerals are mined Saiaetai : copper, and aluminium and non-metals like stone, It. Apart from minerals, coal is the major material that is mined from the earth. whatare the Environmental and Social Impacts of Mining? Underground mining has litle direct effect on the environment, but it can cause long-term problems ike subsidence and pollution of aquifers. In underground mines, the workers are at great risk. Accidents like flooding and collapse are common and the work itself ‘causes severe health problems like respiratory illnesses. Surface or open cast mining destroys all vegetation in the area and pollutes the landscape with the dust that is thrown up. Once the available material is mined out, large craters are left behind. When hills that act as watersheds are mined away, tonorebeing loaded on toa truck the water tables go down, (edt ndaPicure/Mahatta Multimedia Pt Ltd The processing of the mined material, often done on site, using in many cases, mercury, cyanide, and large quantities of water, pollutes rivers and other water bodies. The waste material like slag is often far greater in quantity than the usable part and is left behind as unsightly, unstable, and dangerous heaps. Mining has huge social impacts. Mining-induced displacement and resettlement leads to the following problems for the communities: © Loss of land and livelihood: The displaced communities lose their lands as well as their traditional occupations. «Increased health risks due to contamination of natural resources such as land and water: Resettled populations often do not have access to safe water and sanitation, © Changes in population dynamics: Since trained manpower is usually not available locally, the workers come from outside. What is the Status of Mines and Minerals in India? Here are some facts about mining in India: India produces as many as 86 metals and minerals. 80% of mining in India is for coal. India has over 3500 legal mines. Tlegal mining is a major problem and thousands of cases of illegal mining have been registered across the country. © Over | million people are employed in the industry. ‘¢ Mining has adversely affected biodiversi Key idea Mining communities. ecosystems, local cultures, and Isnecessary since” ff) © About 10 million people have been displaced from mining areas and 75% of We need metals them have not received proper compensation. The tribal communities are the worst affected. ‘The case of the Aravalli Hills in Rajasthan is typical of the Indian mining scene Box 8.3). a Scanned with CamScannerAS} ymand Lake in Rajasthan had not dried up for eed {t did so in 2001. The likely reason: 2 ‘decade of marble mining In Rajnagar area. spread across Haryana, Rajasthan, Sear f the three states as they “and Gujarat, are the lifeline of {anvel eclnateanddrinagesyterTebilsactst the watershed forthe region. Unfortunately, however the hills are also repositories of Immense mineral wealth including talc, marble, and granite. The mining and related industries employ about 175,000 workers and 600,000 others are indirectly dependent on the mining operations. In Rajasthan alone, 9700 industrial units are connected with mining. Forest cover has been depleted by 90% over the past 20 years since large-scale mining began. When tthe mines reach below the underground water level, acone of depression is formed that sucks water from ithe surrounding areas, drying up wells and affecting “agriculture. Several studies have pointed out that the {Batural drainage system and the water table of the a have been badly affected over the years. "Pollution levels have also increased. [|_ Studies have shown that the labourers are not Aplividee! ‘with any: healthcare. Lung diseases like is and silicosisare common, making the sulbiae tag id labour constitutes 10-15% of the i are forty. Chi workers 30-40%, and the workforce and women ‘ondition is the worst. cone nvironmentalists have charged that owners much larger areas than are j pe ether. They fear that all the mineraie? Rajasthan will be exhausted within 50 years, ifthe ining goes on at the current rate. According to then, Mining affected water forest, and land, While mining fed to the depletion of water in wells, mining waste 3d fertile land. a the Supreme Court of India imposed blanket ban on mining activities in the Aravallis. The basic premise for the ban was the argument that the Aravallis came under the category of forestland, Later, the Court constituted a high-level monitoring committee to suggest ways and means for the overal ecological restoration of the hills and give environment clearance for all mines seeking renewal of their leases, In February 2010, the Supreme Court directed the cancellation of 157.mining leases operating in the ‘Aravalli Hills and asked the Forest Survey of India to carry out satellite Imagery of the entire 50,000 sq km range spread across’15/districts of the State to assess, -the extent of ecologicalidamage: *'« dee UMi: eA o Ending on a hopeful note: Positive stories The success of Cuba in shifting: like Nammalvar have been leading majo India (Box 8.5). | Amagine a country that suddenly finds Itself with no fertilizer or pesticide for its fields and all imports of ‘meat, grains, and processed foods gone. Most countries would not be able to recover from such a crisis, but this 1s the story of one country that did. The small island of Cuba has been for long under severe economic sanctions by its neighbour, the US. It had depended on the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc for exchanging its sugar for fertilizers, oll, and grains. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989, Cuba's economy and food security were seriously threatened. The people were facing starvation. The Cuban govemment's answer was a major shiftto organic farming. The strategy was to, transform derelict 5 Withare 7 ane Nias nausea, See bl to organic farming is a classic case (Box 8.4 ). Organic farmers yr movements to promote sustainable agriculture in ty plots into well-funded vegetable gardens under the Supervision of organic farming associations. Thousands of ‘gardens across Cuba began producing organic vegetables and many other crops, Organic farming 0° small family plots currently provides employment t0 326,000 people out of a population of 12 milion. The gardens use organic compost and mulch Instead of chemical fertilizers, blological pest: methods instead of chemical pesticides, and other Environment-friendly techniques. Giant greenhouses Seasons, Nic sugar af renow being produced. eens Produce vegetables in all coffee Scanned with CamScannerit officials to develop and promote ‘organic methods. Its alm is to convince Cuban farmers ikers that the country's previous high- was too import-dependent and damaging to be sustainable, and that the organic alternative has the potential to achieve equally good yields. The Cuban success in shifting to organic farming points the way to the rest of the world. {Gndecember 30, 2013, Govindasamy Nammalvar died the age of 75. He was then on a peaceful march in | Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, where he was leading {pcampaign against the methane exploration project ‘which the state government had granted a licence Hoan American multinational company. | Not many in India would have heard about him, but he was well known among the environmentalists of Tamil Nadu, even as the government and the {media generally ignored him. He was considered to ‘he the father of the organic farming movement in {fail Nadu, eo years ago, as an agricultural graduate, he asked to wean away farmers from traditional Aariculture to the methods of the Green Revolution. {S00n, he realized the folly of chemical farming, quit his {28 and joined an organization called Islands of Peace, by the Nobel Peace Laureate, Dominique Pire. he worked on improving, standard. of living of farmers and workers in Tirunelveli district. In 1990, he helped found the movement called Low-External Input Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA). He became a farmer himself to experiment with ‘organic farming. His large farm, called Vanagam, is today a living example of sustainable farming carried out through traditional and organic methods. He also set up the Nammalvar Ecological Foundation, which has been creating awareness among the public on traditional farming methods, including the use of organic manure and herbal pest repellents, backyard and terrace gardening, soil preservation, vermiculture, and multi-cropping, During his lifetime, Nammalvar was instrumental in founding, guiding, or inspiring many movements including Kudumbam, LEISA Network, Millet Network of India, and Save Our Rice campaign. Nammalvar will always be remembered as a wise and gentle pioneer of organic farming, who inspired thousands of farmers and activists. WeaebE 8 Ts Scanned with CamScanner