Population pressure including urban sprawl and commercial development. Soil degradation is a serious global environmental problem and may be exacerbated by climate change. Land degradation in arid, semiarid and dry subhumid areas as a basic result of adverse human conduct. However, if acted upon quickly, there is a possibility for land reclamation and reversal of desertification. Deforestation and land degradation on the ethiopian highlands. Effects focus on atmosphere, human health and nature.
What are causes and effects of environmental degradation. Land degradation is a global problem largely related to agricultural use. Environmental degradation, to a large scale, is the result of market failure, namely the nonexistent or poorly functioning markets for environmental goods and services. In turn, unsustainable land use is driving land degradation. Soil degradation is the loss of lands production capacity in terms of loss of soil fertility, soil biodiversity, and degradation. Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of. It causes land degradation through huge loss of top fertile soil along with plant nutrients through runoff water. Soil degradation causes include agricultural, industrial, and commercial pollution. This will create much drier soil, which in turn is more vulnerable to erosion and runoff. It reduces the depth of soil where it takes place, depletes the ground water table, limits the moisture storage capacity and feeding zones of the crops, deteriorates the soil organic matter, destroys soil structure and impairs. The soil finds its way into beds of streams and rivers, thus reducing their capacity to contain water which causes floods.
The major causes of land degradation include, land clearance poor farming practices, overgrazing, inappropriate. Thus, arthur and jeanette conacher defined land degradation as alterations to all aspects of the biophysical environment by human actions to the. The effects of longterm landuse changes and cultivation on soil degradation. Land degradation has accelerated during the 20th century due to increasing and combined pressures of agricultural and livestock production overcultivation, overgrazing, forest conversion, urbanization, deforestation, and extreme weather events such as droughts and coastal surges which salinate land. 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.
Chapters 7 and 8 are concerned with the economic and social consequences of land degradation. A case study on keyain village of munshigonj district. Cause of land degradation and its impacts on livelihoods. The land degradation processes include soil erosion, nutrient depletion, salinization, desertification and soil acidification or alkalinisation. Causes, effects and control strategies 5 deforestation are maintained. Deforestation and land degradation on the ethiopian. The term desertification has in the meantime been broadened to almost all forms of land degradation and is even used to include resource degradation in humid areas. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and the. Causes and features of watershed degradation related to.
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 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. Cause and effects of land degradation environmental. A more specific definition states that land degradation is. The use of climate information must be applied in developing sustainable practices. However their negative effects can be amplified through human action such as pastoral and agricultural land use for example within the watershed. We will consider the effects of land degradation one by one, surface runoff and floods. The following are the research question of the study.
In this study it is hypothesized that deforestation and intensive agricultural activities with longterm inappropriate management caused significant soil degradation in the investigation area. 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. What is environmental degradation, causes and effects. The causes, types and effects of land degradation are addressed in the next paragraphs. The change in the characteristic and quality of soil which adversely affect its fertility is called as degradation. In the following, the types, causes, effects and solutions for environmental degradation are examined. The causes of dry land degradation are complex, and may be the product of anthropogenic or climatic factors, such as the impact of drought and desiccation on ecosystems, the overgrazing of these rangelands, unsustainable landtenure rights, the undervaluation of land resources, and pricing failures, and numerous other social and economic processes table 1. In this unique situation, environmental degradation is a specific instance of utilization or generation externalities reflected by uniqueness amongst private and social. Land clearance, such as clearcutting and deforestation.
Conversion of agricultural land in nonagricultural uses is one of the main reasons to follow. Thus, in order to prevent these adverse consequences, we should take several measures in our daily life. Cause and effects of land degradation environmental sciences. Introduction the change in the characteristic and quality of soil which adversely affect its fertility is called as degradation. While, wmo 2005 classified the causes of land degradation into biophysical factors such as unsuitable land use land use for. Land degradation is a change to land that makes it less useful for human beings. Research by the economics of land degradation initiative in 2015 calculated that soil degradation is. Human activity affects not only soil quality and water supply, but also biodiversity. Destruction of natural vegetation cover is a major factor responsible for erosion of soils by water and wind. Chapter 7 economic consequences of land degradation. The resources get depleted and the quality of air, water and soil diminishes.
Research has shown that up to 60% of agricultural land in calabar south is seriously degraded. Environmental economics in the department of agricultural economics, extension and rural development. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and the economy. Unesco eolss sample chapters water resources management vol. 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.
Let us check what environmental degradation is, its causes and effects. Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices. Causes and consequences of land degradation in india gktoday. Made by aunj raut krishna sashank land degredation 2. Land degradation also has serious knockon effects for humans, such as malnutrition, disease, forced migration, cultural damage, and even war. Increase in demand for goods and resources has led to land degradation. 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. Year after year, huge acres of land lost due to soil erosion, contamination and pollution. As you read on, consider what ways humanity can do things differently to reverse this land degradation. Deforestation accounts for the major land degradation problem as it results in severe soil erosion, flood, and loss of fertile soil. Land degradation soil degradation is the decline in soil quality caused by its improper use, usually for agricultural, pastoral, industrial or urban purposes.
In this report, land degradation is defined as a negative trend 4 in land condition, caused by direct or indirect humaninduced processes including anthropogenic. Land is a vital resource to humankind, like air and water. Interactions between the two systems determine the success or failure of resource management. Land degradation is the major consequences of direct interference of human activities in the natural phenomenon. Furthermore, the main outcome of land degradation is a substantial reduction in the productivity of the land as shown in figure 2. 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. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Land degradation can be defined in several ways depending upon the subject that needs to be emphasized. Causes and effects twoday international conference on materials for energy and environmental protection 7 page icmeep18 ii.
Causes of soil degradation and methods for soil conservation. A general definition of land degradation is presented by wasson 1987 as. 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. However, the shortage of land causes overgrazing without replenishment and over time, the degradation becomes so severe that it renders the land permanently unproductive. Desertification has been defined as land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities11. 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. Conclusion land degradation occurs because of land poor management practices. The changes in area of forest by region and subregion are shown in table 1. All of these factors will combine to create a very stable but very unproductive desert environment. To find out the causes for environmental degradation in india 2.
The ecosystems services that the land provides are at breaking point. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. It encompasses physical soil erosion, chemical salinity and alkalinity, pollution and biological deterioration pollution and. History, nature, causes, consequences, and solutions conacher, arthur encyclopedia of life support systems eolss above. Land degradation, soil erosion and soil conservation pmf ias. Water erosion is the most common form of degradation in the area, affecting 25 percent of agricultural land. In order to assess sustainable land management practices, the climate resources and the risk of climate related natural disaster need to be documented. The soil integrates a variety of important processes involving vegetation growth, overland flow of water, infiltration, land use and land management. Ecological degradation can have serious effects for many animals, plants and also for humanity. Jun 01, 2016 the following are many of the major causes of land degradation that have led to problems for our earth. Thus, arthur and jeanette conacher defined land degradation as alterations to. The condition of the soil is one of the best indicators of land degradation.
The emphasis on land, rather than soil, broadens the focus to include natural resources, such as. Read this article to learn about the meaning, factors responsible, prevention and control measures of land degradation. There is loss of not only water and plant nutrients but ultimately soil itself is lost, which, in turn, affects crop productivity. 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. Soil degradation is, in itself, an indicator of land degradation. Land degradation is caused by soil water erosion 46%, wind erosion 36%, loss of nutrients 9%, physical deterioration 4%, and salinization 3%. Mar 02, 2020 land pollution is another name used to describe land degradation. Deforestation causes fast degradation when the soil is steep sloppy or easily erodible. Soil erosion is a natural process that removes soil from the land. The linkages between land degradation, poverty and social. The linkages between land degradation, poverty and social capital in uganda.
Soil quality decline is one of the main causes of land degradation and is considered to be responsible for 84% of the ever diminishing acreage. At about 50 percent of the total land use, agriculture is one of the biggest uses of land on our. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the physical environment is affected by a. Livestock including overgrazing inappropriate irrigation. Environmental degradation means reduction in the quality of the environment due to man made and natural factors. 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. According to global assessment of soil degradation glasod, deforestation is the main cause of soil erosion by wind in about 98% of the area. Abu sayeed during the last few years the agriculture sector is facing danger in many ways. 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. The effects of longterm land use changes and cultivation on soil degradation. It is important to note that most causes of degradation are closely interdependent and thus mostly more than one cause lead to the prevailing erosion features. Mar 28, 2018 land degradation also has serious knockon effects for humans, such as malnutrition, disease, forced migration, cultural damage, and even war. Land use change and inappropriate land management practices major causes of soil degradation, soc reduction and ghg emissions. The main outcome of land degradation is a substantial reduction in the productivity of land.
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