What is Land Degradation?
Land, like air and water, is a critical resource for humanity. There are many cases where land degradation takes place. However, it becomes vital to have complete knowledge on what is land degradation and the causes of land degradation. Food insecurity, global warming, and ecosystem loss are the reasons behind land degradation, defined as the deterioration and failure to the production of good quality of soils in the present and future. Land degradation is occurring at an alarming rate, resulting in a severe drop in agricultural and rangeland production worldwide.
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Issues Related to Land Degradation
Land degradation is the most serious environmental issue, which is growing at an alarming rate. According to various research, half the total land area is affected due to land degradation. These environmental issues result in the release of soil carbon and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere, further leading to the climatic condition. Scientists recently warned that unsustainable agriculture methods were causing the loss of 24 billion tonnes of valuable soil each year.
Due to their massive influence on human security and the heightened conflict potential produced by their impacts on three conflict constellations: water scarcity, land availability, food insecurity, land degradation, and climate change are danger multipliers. Population increase and growing living standards are the critical background factors for these three conflict constellations. Migration serves as both a means of avoiding conflict and a source of new competition.
Land degradation is a worldwide issue that impacts everyone, resulting in food insecurity and increased food costs, climate change and environmental risks, and a loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Even though there is a correlation between land degradation and war, we must avoid blaming the victims. The "decrease in the capacity of the land to supply ecosystem goods and services over a period of time" is a common definition of land degradation, emphasizing the temporal component of the process. This terminology is particularly relevant when discussing land degradation and development in the context of the long-term development of resilient and secure energy systems while also addressing environmental issues.
What are the Causes of Land Degradation?
It is important to know what are the causes of land degradation. There are different reasons behind land degradation. Below are the significant causes of land degradation happening-
Deforestation
Forests serve a critical role in soil fertility maintenance by losing their leaves, which contain several nutrients. Forests also aid in the binding of soil particles through the use of vegetative roots. As a result, logging of forests will hurt the soil.
Extreme use of Fertilizers
Fertilizers are necessary for improving food production, but widespread usage has raised concerns about their potential environmental impact. It is one of the reasons for land degradation. Excessive fertilizer usage has resulted in an imbalance in the number of certain nutrients in the soil. This imbalance hurts the vegetation. Any chemical used to manage undesired herbaceous plants (herbicides), woody plants (arboncides), insects (insecticides), or any agent with biocidal action affecting rodents, arachnids, or any other population is referred to as a pesticide. The usage of insecticides skyrocketed after the Second World War.
Although their short-term effectiveness in reducing pests cannot be disputed, their long-term usefulness in managing pests or their overall impact on ecosystems cannot.
Overgrazing
One of the causes of land degradation due to human activities is overgrazing. Overgrazing of pastures occurs when the livestock population grows. Grass and other forms of vegetation are unable to survive and thrive in the region as a result, and soil erosion results from the lack of vegetative cover. Hundreds of millions of African and Asia graze livestock on grasslands and rangelands with insufficient carrying capacity due to poor quality or inconsistent rainfall. Overgrazing poses a challenge to pastoralists and their rangelands.
Water Logging
Water logging is considered the main factor responsible for land degradation. Groundwater levels rise as a result of excessive irrigation and poor drainage in the fields. When the groundwater combines with surface water used for irrigation, a condition known as water logging occurs. After evaporation, groundwater transports the dissolved salts of the soil to the surface, where they create a coating or sheet of salt. This situation is called salinity.
Desertification
One of the significant effects of land degradation is desertification. Desertification involves the overall land degradation process that occurs in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid environments due to various variables, including weather fluctuations and human activity. Desertification is described by the United Nations Conference on Desertification (1977) as the "diminution or loss of land's biological capacity, which might eventually lead to desert-like conditions.
Soil Erosion
The principal land degradation process is accelerated soil erosion by water and wind, which results from altered relationships between environmental elements as a result of human activities. Reduced fertility and soil erosion are caused by changes in the soil's physical, chemical, or biological features. Water logging, chemical pollution, acidity, salinity, and alkalinity are examples of other types of land degradation.
Wasteland
Lands that are economically unproductive, environmentally unfit, and susceptible to environmental degradation are called wastelands. According to estimates, India's wastelands cover almost half of the nation.
Conclusion
Land degradation can have a severe effect on human life and ecology. It is vital to keep the environment safe and avoid these significant effects of land degradation.
FAQs on Land Degradation
1. What is meant by land degradation?
Land degradation is the process by which the quality and productivity of land decline, making it less suitable for agriculture, forestry, or as a natural habitat. It involves the loss of biological or economic value of the land, primarily due to human activities and, to a lesser extent, natural processes. This decline can manifest as soil erosion, loss of nutrients, or increased salinity.
2. What are the main causes of land degradation in India?
The main causes of land degradation in India are a mix of human and natural factors. Key causes include:
Deforestation: Clearing forests for agriculture, industry, and urbanisation exposes the topsoil to erosion.
Overgrazing: Excessive grazing by livestock removes the protective vegetation cover, leading to soil compaction and erosion.
Unsustainable Agricultural Practices: Over-irrigation causes waterlogging and salinity, while excessive use of chemical fertilisers degrades soil health.
Mining and Quarrying: These activities leave deep scars and overburden, destroying the land's original structure and fertility.
Industrial Effluents: The discharge of untreated industrial waste pollutes land and water resources, making the soil toxic.
3. What are some common examples of land degradation?
Common examples of land degradation include soil erosion, where wind and water remove the fertile topsoil; desertification, where fertile land turns into desert; soil salinization, where an excess of salt accumulates in the soil due to improper irrigation; and waterlogging, where the soil becomes saturated with water, harming plant roots. Land contamination from industrial waste is another significant example.
4. How is soil erosion different from land degradation?
Soil erosion is a specific type of land degradation. The key difference is that land degradation is a broad term referring to any decline in the land's quality, which includes chemical degradation (salinity, pollution) and physical degradation (compaction, waterlogging). In contrast, soil erosion specifically refers to the physical removal and displacement of the uppermost layer of soil (topsoil) by agents like wind and water. Therefore, all soil erosion is a form of land degradation, but not all land degradation is soil erosion.
5. What are the major effects of land degradation on the environment and society?
Land degradation has severe consequences, including reduced agricultural productivity, which can lead to food insecurity and higher food prices. Environmentally, it causes loss of biodiversity, increased risk of floods and landslides, and contributes to climate change by releasing carbon stored in the soil. For society, it can lead to economic losses, displacement of communities, and increased poverty, especially in rural areas dependent on agriculture.
6. How do human activities like mining and industry accelerate land degradation?
Human activities significantly accelerate land degradation. Mining operations require the excavation of large land areas, leaving behind deep scars, unstable soil (overburden), and contaminated waste, a process known as dereliction. Similarly, industrial activities often discharge chemical effluents and waste materials onto land, which seep into the soil, altering its chemical composition, killing microorganisms, and rendering it infertile and toxic for any future use.
7. Can degraded land be restored, and if so, how?
Yes, degraded land can often be restored through careful land management and conservation measures. Key methods include:
Afforestation and Reforestation: Planting trees helps bind the soil and prevent erosion.
Contour Ploughing and Terrace Farming: These techniques on sloped land slow down water flow and reduce soil erosion.
Proper Management of Grazing: Regulating grazing prevents the removal of protective vegetation.
Planting Shelterbelts: Rows of trees planted to check wind erosion, especially in arid regions.
Control of Mining Activities: Implementing sustainable mining practices and land reclamation after excavation.
8. Why is preventing land degradation crucial for a country's food security?
Preventing land degradation is crucial for food security because fertile land is the primary resource for growing crops. When land degrades, its productive capacity diminishes, leading to lower crop yields. This directly threatens the food supply for a growing population. Healthy soil is essential for sustainable agriculture, and protecting it ensures that future generations can continue to produce enough food to meet their needs, thus maintaining national stability and well-being.
9. What is the connection between deforestation and desertification?
Deforestation is a major driver of desertification. Trees and forests act as a natural barrier against wind and water erosion, help maintain local rainfall patterns, and keep soil moist and fertile. When forests are cleared (deforestation), the exposed soil becomes vulnerable to being blown or washed away. The loss of tree cover disrupts the water cycle, leading to a drier climate. Over time, this process degrades the land to the point where it becomes arid and unproductive, which is the definition of desertification.
10. What role does over-irrigation play in land degradation in states like Punjab and Haryana?
In states like Punjab and Haryana, over-irrigation is a primary cause of land degradation through waterlogging and salinity. When fields are excessively irrigated, the water table rises, saturating the root zones of crops and leading to waterlogging. As this water evaporates from the surface, it draws salts from the lower soil layers and leaves them behind as a white crust on the topsoil. This process, known as salinization, makes the soil alkaline and unfit for cultivation, severely reducing its agricultural productivity.
