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. Many others worry about the effects of land degradation on the livelihoods ofrural dwell ers, particularly in the more marginal agricultural areas lfad 1992. Ihe result is a dastic revision of previous land degrdation cost estimates in two respects. 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. 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. Evaluation of land useland cover changes and land degradation in dera district, ethiopia were undertaken using two remotely sensed datasets landsat 5 tm of 1985 and landsat 7. Effects of land use change on land degradation reflected by soil properties along mara river, kenya and tanzania. Mar 28, 2018 a new international report makes for bleak reading on the state of the worlds soils. Economics of land degradation initiative wikipedia. The impact of climate change, desertification and land. Chapters 7 and 8 are concerned with the economic and social consequences of land degradation. 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.
Unesco eolss sample chapters encyclopedia of life support systemseolss land degradation and desertification. Ethiopia owns more than 58 different types of wetlands which provide enormous socioeconomic and environmental values. Boahene african society for environmental management, po box 2205, 3500 ge utrecht, the netherlands. Mar 02, 2020 land and soil are some of the most important resources we have on earth. Chapter 7 economic consequences of land degradation. One of the calamitous effects of land pollution is the destruction of nearby forests together with its ecosystems. History, nature, causes, consequences, and solutions conacher, arthur school of earth and geographical sciences. 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. Snowball of land degradation environmental consequences. Land degradation and deforestation evergreen agriculture. The changes in area of forest by region and subregion are shown in table 1. It encompasses physical soil erosion, chemical salinity and alkalinity, pollution and biological. History, nature, causes, consequences, and solutions conacher, arthur encyclopedia of life support systems eolss above. Land degradation is a broad term that can be applied differently across wide range scenarios in the study area.
This study investigated the socioeconomic factors and causes of land degradation e. What is forest degradation and what are various causes of. Land degradation is a natural and socioeconomic causeeffect phenomenon that is widespread all over the world. This perception has been replaced by a feeling of scarcity, especially in arid lands undergoing severe processes of degradation. These impacts include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation, and soil salinity. Desertification has been defined as land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities11. So, its important to learn how landsoil is being used, degraded, and conservedprotected. Cause and effects of land degradation environmental. With increasing human population, trees around the world are cleared everyday to make way for agriculture in fertile lands to meet the increasing food demand. Most of the soil is lost through the surface runoff. Pdf effects of land use change on land degradation reflected. Land degradation has multiple and complex impacts on the global environment through a range of direct and indirect processes affecting a wide array of ecosystem functions and services gef 2006.
Land degradation and deforestation land degradation and deforestation. The change in the characteristic and quality of soil which adversely affect its fertility is called as degradation. Cause and effects of land degradation environmental sciences. Read this article to learn about the meaning, factors responsible, prevention and control measures of land degradation. The land degradation processes include soil erosion, nutrient depletion, salinization, desertification and soil acidification or alkalinisation. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the physical environment is affected by a. Soil degradation is, in itself, an indicator of land degradation.
Drought and desertification destroys 12 million hectares a year an area the size of greece and impacts 1. Pdf an assessment of economic impacts of land degradation. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Effects of environmental degradation custom writing service. The concept of land degradation was considered in four ways which includes, the effect on the soil productivity and the environment around, decline in the land usefulness, loss of biodiversity, shifting.
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. The environmental consequences of land degradation are vast, including amplified soil losses, water quality deterioration, biodiversity decline and degradation of ecosystem services and corresponding values, especially if actual land uses disrespect capability natural use, in which cases land is in a state of environmental conflict. Land degradation and deforestation deforestation in agriculture accounts for 60% of global land degradation as well as about 30% of all manmade carbon emissions. These, in turn diminish the availability of nutrients and water to the plants and ultimately the productivity of the land. Land degradation is the blanket term usually used to describe a number of land and soil degradation issues such as soil contamination, soil erosion, desertification, and more.
The map of the study area is presented on the next page. In this unique situation, environmental degradation is a specific instance of utilization or generation externalities reflected by uniqueness amongst private and social. With increasing human population, trees around the world are cleared everyday to make way for agriculture in fertile lands to meet the increasing. The principal environmental impacts of land degradation include a rapid loss of habitat and biodiversity, modifications of. Land degradation food and agriculture organization of the united. A new international report makes for bleak reading on the state of the worlds soils. Deforestation in agriculture accounts for 60% of global land degradation as well as about 30% of all manmade carbon emissions. In addition, land zoning concept with the intention of minimizes the misuse of agricultural lands. Degradation refers to damage or reduction in quality of certain features of the forests.
Land degradation is the major consequences of direct interference of human activities in the natural phenomenon. This research may give them a total framework of the causes and consequences of land degradation. Soil quality decline is one of the main causes of land degradation and it considered to be responsible for 84% of the every diminishing acres fao, 2011. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and the. In turn, unsustainable land use is driving land degradation. Land degradation as a result of inappropriate land use practices, such as overgrazing and cultivation on steep slopes is viewed as major global environmental challenge. Land degradation soil degradation is the decline in soil quality caused by its improper use, usually for agricultural, pastoral, industrial or urban purposes. Conversion of agricultural land to nonagricultural usages in. 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.
Potential environmental consequences span from famine and water pollution to reductions in biodiversity and ecosystem efficiency. The soil integrates a variety of important processes involving vegetation growth, overland flow of water, infiltration, land use and land management. On the other hand, land pollution is the degradation of the earths surface through wrong application or use of the soils by means of devastating farming techniques that are inimical to the environment. Environmental degradation, to a large scale, is the result of market failure, namely the nonexistent or poorly functioning markets for environmental goods and services. 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. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. The eld initiative was cofounded in 2011 by the secretariat of the united nations convention to combat desertification unccd, the german federal ministry for economic. Land degradation is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. Thus, arthur and jeanette conacher defined land degradation as alterations to. Soil degradation is the inability of soil to support the growth of crops. Unesco eolss sample chapters water resources management vol. 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. One of the calamitous effects of land pollution is the.
Land degradation can be defined in several ways depending upon the subject that needs to be emphasized. 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 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 environmental consequences of land degradation are vast, including amplified soil losses, water quality deterioration, biodiversity decline and degradation of ecosystem services and corresponding values, especially if actual land uses disrespect capability natural use, in which. This agricultural problem could detrimentally impact our food and water supplies as well as the general sustenance of life. Degradation is currently affecting 25% of earths land and 40% of earths agricultural land. Soil degradation is a serious global environmental problem and may be exacerbated by climate change. Soil erosion is a natural process that removes soil from the land. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the physical environment is affected by a combination of humaninduced processes acting upon the land.
The economics of land degradation eld initiative is a global initiative which aims to increase awareness of the benefits of sustainable land management and economic consequences of land degradation. In this report, land degradation is defined as a negative trend 4 in land condition, caused by direct or indirect. In addition to erosion, soil quality is affected by other aspects of agriculture. Soil degradation a major threat to humanity summary soil degradation needs to be recognised, alongside climate change, as one of the most pressing problems facing humanity. Despite all those and other indispensable values, these wetlands are under severe pressure and degradation. The effect of deterrents on land degradation only applies in those areas. The condition of the soil is one of the best indicators of land degradation. Land degradation 15 main activities contributing towards land degradation 15 the social and economic consequences of land degradation 17 literature analysis 17 water resources 19 main activities contributing to water resource degradation 19 the social and economic consequences of water pollution 21 literature analysis 22 air indoor and outdoor 24. The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land. It encompasses physical soil erosion, chemical salinity and alkalinity, pollution and biological deterioration pollution and. Soil erosion and land degradation through various means further affect the physical viability of the soil profile and the environment in terms of solid, water, air ratio as well as chemical and biological balances. Soil degradation is the decline in soil quality caused by its improper use usually for agricultural postural, industrial, or urban purposes.
Land degradation, soil erosion and soil conservation pmf ias. The worst situations can be found in africa, which is threatened because the land degradation processes affect about 46 percent of the whole continent and create a health risk to people living in the regions far beyond the affected areas. Land degradation can be viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable eswaran, 2001. Causes and consequences of land degradation in india gktoday. First, the authors argue that past estimates have overestmated the impact of soil erosion and that. Smart solutions for land degradation adam koniuszewski. The main outcome of land degradation is a substantial reduction in the productivity of land. Solutions need to be developed and introduced which address both issues simultaneously. It predicts that land degradation will displace up to 700 million people worldwide by midcentury. Land degradation is a change to land that makes it less useful for human beings. What is forest degradation and what are various causes of it. The importance of land degradation in calabar south is enhanced because of its impact on food security and quality of the environments.
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