Land degradation can also cause erosion and landslides. Understanding is needed for assessing not only how much. Present paper discusses about impact of environmental degradation in india keywords. Perhaps rural poverty contributes to environmental degradation on the very small proportion of the worlds forests, soils and water to which the poor have access so it is not a major contributor to global environmental degradation but a serious contributor to environmental degradation in particular places alder, graham 1995, tackling. Land degradation is a worldwide problem which includes both of the developed and developing. Severe land damage accompanies largescale of agriculture.
Soil and land degradation are one of the major causes of hunger and poverty in developing countries pereira et al. Land degradation is the major consequences of direct interference of human activities in the natural phenomenon. About 4075% of the worlds agricultural lands productivity is reduced due to land degradation baylis et al. Introduction understanding drivers of deforestation and degradation is fundamental for the development of policies and measures content from. Land degradationthe loss of productive capacity of the land is a significant problem in many developing countries. In this unique situation, environmental degradation is a specific instance of utilization or generation externalities reflected by uniqueness amongst private and social. The causes of rangeland degradation in many developing countries are complex, but we stress that it can be both a cause and a result of open conflicts. It does not attempt to cover the full range of social issues associated with all types of environmental degradation. What are causes and effects of environmental degradation. Deforestation and desertification in developing countries.
Socioeconomic and biophysical determinants of land degradation. Of the 80 countries substantially affected by land. An exact assessment of the extent of land degradation remains elusive both because of the difficulties involved in measuring it and because of the different definitions used over time. These challenges are deeply interconnected and global in scope.
Rethinking research on land degradation in developing countries english abstract. Local perception of land degradation in developing. Landlocked developing countries lldcs are disadvantaged in a myriad of ways and they have special needs which require special attention. Land degradation has caused widespread concern in many. The impact of climate change, desertification and land. Who is more responsible for environmental degradation. 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. The condition of the soil is one of the best indicators of land degradation. The proximate causes of rangeland degradation include overgrazing, unsustainable fuel wood including shrubs use, mining, and plowing of rangelands with subsequent loss of soil productivity. The implications of these paradigm shifts are examined in terms of research needs. The political economy of land degradation institute of economic. In developing countries, forests, lakes, rivers and oceans provide a significant share of households. Deforestation is mainly caused by urbanisation, harvesting for timber and fuel, slashandburn agriculture and bush fires. Understanding the effects of resource degradation on socio.
Environmental degradation is one of the primary causes of diseases, health issues and long term livelihood impact for india. Pdf by the year 2020 land degradation may pose a serious threat to food. Local knowhow and local farming practices are fundamental to tackle this problem norton et al. Global drivers of land degradation and improvement springerlink. Land degradation is a global problem that particularly impacts the poor rural inhabitants of low and middleincome countries. The causes of land degradation are numerous and complex table 7. It can result from natural causes such as climate change, but is mainly related to human activities such as unsustainable farming and forest. Land degradation takes a number of forms, including depletion of soil nutrients, salinization, agrochemical pollution, soil erosion, vegetative degradation as a.
History, nature, causes, consequences, and solutions conacher, arthur encyclopedia of life support systems eolss above. Challenges such as undiversified economies, vulnerability to climate change and climate variability, land degradation and desertification, among others, are undermining the economic potential of many lldcs. Land degradation in the developing world agecon search. Does land degradation increase poverty in developing countries.
Cause and effects of land degradation environmental. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. Unfccc2009,2010 have encouraged developing countries to identify land use, land use change and forestry activities, in particular those that are linked to the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and to assess their potential contribution to the mitigation of climate change. Since the question is about developeddeveloping countries, ill add all the countries and refer to degradation caused by all and only human kind. Instead, drawing particularly on unrisd work, it focuses largely on the social impacts of and responses to environmental degradation in rural areas of the third world. Soil loss from conventionally tilled land exceeds the rate.
Major causes of land degradation, but also soil loss cause by region of the world we see in africa overgrazing is the major cause, but in north america its agricultural practices causes of land degradation in developing countries. Currently, over 250 million people in more than 100 countries are directly affected by desertification and more are at risk. Land degradation food and agriculture organization of the united. Deforestation and inappropriate agricultural practices especially on sloping lands often lead to soil. Soil degradation is part of a vicious circle of flooding and drought related to climate change.
Land use changes and unsustainable land management are direct human causes of land degradation very high confidence, with agriculture being a dominant sector driving degradation 14 very high confidence. At the country level, developing countries tend to be reliant on natural resources products for the overwhelming majority of their exports, which makes their economies extremely vulnerable to environmental changes and pressures. Loss of natural fertility of soil because of loss of nutrients. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the physical environment is affected by a. Underdevelopment, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation are cardinal, even existential, threats to human security. This paper takes a fresh look at two of the major environmental hazards affecting the planet, namely deforestation and desertification, in terms of the nature and magnitude of the problem as faced by the developing world, and their causes and effects. Drylands comprise 41% of the earths land area and are home to roughly 2 billion people, or 34% of the earths population.
Land degradation is the major contributor to food insecurity and poverty in rural areas of developing countries but land users are hesitant to invest on land management mainly because of. Rethinking research on land degradation in developing. The change in the characteristic and quality of soil which adversely affect its fertility is called as degradation. Local perception of land degradation in developing countries 5 1 introduction land degradation ld1 is a complex phenomenon triggered by the interplay of environmental, economic and social factors warren, 2002. All of these types of degradation cause a decline in the productive. Underdevelopment, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation are cardinal, even existential, threats to human. On the one hand, degradation is not a linear process that can easily be measured by static parameters. The continued loss of arable land will jeopardize our ability to feed the world population. Wind erosion is an important cause, particularly in drylands and areas with landforms conducive to high winds. Chemical degradation, such as salinization and nutrient loss, is the result of cropping practices. The main trends examined are rural households decisions to degrade as opposed to conserve land resources, and the expansion of frontier agricultural activity that contributes to forest and marginal land conversion. Land degradation in most developing countries is becoming a major constraint to future growth and development of rural livelihoods.
Of the 80 countries substantially affected by land degradation, 36. The rate of degradation has increased dramatically with growth in human populations and technology. Land degradation is, usually, the result of complex interrelationships between biophysical and socioeconomic issues which affect many people and their land, specially in the tropics and developing countries. Sar causes of degradation and aggradation santa ana region 3 may 29, 2014 causes of degradation and aggradation 2 methodology the causes of channel degradation and aggradation were determined using two methods. Unesco eolss sample chapters water resources management vol. At the country level, developing countries tend to be reliant on natural resources products for the overwhelming majority of their exports, which makes their economies extremely vulnerable to environmental.
Urban growth and land degradation in developing cities. It can result from natural causes such as climate change, but is mainly related to human activities such as unsustainable farming and forest management practices. Of the 80 countries substantially affected by land degradation, 36 are situated in africa. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget. These challenges not only threaten human life and wellbeing, but also impact the global geopolitical and economic landscape. Recognizing the socioeconomic and biophysical causes of land degradation at the national level is. Read this article to learn about the meaning, factors responsible, prevention and control measures of land degradation. Land resources are the basis for human survival and development. Cause of land degradation and its impacts on livelihoods.
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. Land degradation and sustainable land management practices. Of the 80 countries substantially affected by land degradation. In lesotho, for example, over 100 km2 approximately 2% of the total land. Proximate and underlying causes in developing countries. We improve upon existing literature by estimating the extent of rural populations in 2000 and 2010 globally on degrading and. The situation is most severe in africa, where 66% of the total land area is arid or semi. Causes of soil degradation range from the use of fertilisers to dumping of industrial waste. In 1992 developing countries in asia and the pacific accounted for just less than 54 percent of the world population nearly 3000 million people. An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation. It is estimated that nearly 2 billion ha of soil resources in the world have been degraded, namely approximately 22% of the total cropland, pasture, forest, and woodland. Local perception of land degradation in developing countries.
Soil degradation is, in itself, an indicator of land degradation. Underdevelopment, resource scarcity, and environmental. Land degradation in many pacific island countries pics has become an emerging concern in recent years. Cause and effects of land degradation environmental sciences. This paper scopes out the linkages between resource degradation and socioeconomic outcomes, focusing on land and water degradation. The soil integrates a variety of important processes involving vegetation growth, overland flow of water, infiltration, land use and land management. Appropriate policies are required to encourage landimproving investments and better land management if developing countries are to sustainably meet the food needs of. Responses to land degradation world bank documents. Environmental degradation, livelihood, population, pollution, sustainable development i. By the year 2020 land degradation may pose a serious threat to food production and rural livelihoods, particularly in poor and densely populated areas of the developing world. The following paper investigates the economic determinants of land degradation in developing countries. With high proportion fossil fuel as the main source of industrial energy and major air. Countries that are particularly poor in land cover. Landuse changes and unsustainable land management are direct human causes of land degradation very high confidence, with agriculture being a dominant sector driving degradation very high confidence.
Click download or read online button to get urban growth and land degradation in developing cities book now. Soil degradation, defined as lowering and losing of soil functions, is becoming more and more serious worldwide in recent decades, and poses a threat to agricultural production and terrestrial ecosystem. Thus, arthur and jeanette conacher defined land degradation as alterations to all aspects of the biophysical environment by human actions to the. The extent of degradation in developing countries is difficult to quantify because of the lack of monitoring, but certainly, concern exists that the human population is exerting significant. Understanding the effects of resource degradation on socioeconomic outcomes in developing countries iii executive summary the links between the environment and the economy have risen on policy and academic agendas. Land use changes and unsustainable land management are direct human causes of land degradation very high confidence, with agriculture being a dominant sector driving degradation very high confidence. History, nature, causes, consequences, and solutions conacher, arthur encyclopedia of life support systems eolss the early initiation and growth of urban civilizations in mesopotamia in the later part of. Does land degradation increase poverty in developing. Implications for food, agriculture, and the environment to 2020 sara j. We improve upon existing literature by estimating the extent of rural populations in 2000 and 2010 globally on degrading and improving agricultural land, taking into account the role of market access, and analyzing the resulting impacts on poverty.
The term land degradation involves both soil and vegetation degradation. May 11, 2016 land degradation is a global problem that particularly impacts the poor rural inhabitants of low and middleincome countries. Causes, effects and control strategies 5 deforestation are maintained. Without adaptation strategies and resilience building devoted to responsibly managing and restoring our natural capital, land degradation, especially in developing countries, will continue to be a significant factor threatening rural livelihoods, triggering forced migration, and aggravating conflicts over limited natural resources barnett and. An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers. Pollution of water resources from the contamination of. Appropriate policies are required to encourage land improving investments and better land management if developing countries are to sustainably meet the food needs of. Defining land degradation and improvement land includes not only the soil resource, but also the water, vegetation, landscape, and microclimatic components ofan ecosystem land degradation refers to a temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity ofthe land,2 or its potential for environmental management. The changes in area of forest by region and subregion are shown in table 1. In many developing countries where rangelands are a dominant land type and critically important in livelihoods of a significant portion of the population, severe rangeland degradation andor conflicts over rangeland use can create significant social, economic, and environmental problems. Both poverty and environmental degradation have been increasing in many developing countries, hence there is a pressing need first to evaluate and analyze the povertyenvironmental degradation nexus, and second, to prescribe policy options to mitigate or eradicate these two problems.
Water erosion is the principal cause ofdegradation. Environment degradation can be referred to a number of different ways environment is affected. Mar 02, 2020 read more about land degradation causes in different parts of the world at. Environmental degradation, to a large scale, is the result of market failure, namely the nonexistent or poorly functioning markets for environmental goods and services.