Short essay on the Impact of soil degradation

Soil degradation has plagued mankind for thousands of years. Archaeological have shown that land degradation was responsible for extinction of Harappan Civilization in India, Mesopotamia in Western Asia and the Mayan culture in Central America.

The visible economic impact of land degradation is on agricultural productivity. In a coin like India, where 70 per cent of the population is entirely dependent on agriculture, the reducing in productivity of land resources has a telling effect on the socioeconomic conditions, immediate effects of land degradation includes reduced crop yields, increasing need for agricultural inputs and decreasing profits, reduction in the value of land, losses of water resources in frequency and severity of floods, siltation of reservoirs, rivers etc., and adverse effect power generation.

Standard of living, which depends upon farm income greatly, declines w decrease in the per capita availability of land. Increasingly less remunerative subsistence farm’ systems lead the peasants to leave the land uncultivated which then tends to become barren, the above said reasons ultimately result in shifting the land resources from agriculture to other uses including industry, which bring environmental degradation.

This is more common in De where there are a growing number of brick-kilns on the once productive lands. These environment consequences are also important. Although the scientists have emphasized the dangers caused burning of fossil fuel, the emission of green house gases through soil degradation has not given special weight age. These gases emitted through soil degradation are C0₂, CO, N₂0,

Strategies

Since the problem of land degradation is very complex, it is important that we approach issue in a systematic and logical manner. The following strategies are suggested:

1. Proper records of land productivity status should be prepared with the help of so scientists along with the latest technologies like remote sensing.

2. For each soil properties there should be a clear demarcation of boundary in order monitor soil, which is stressed by external degrading agencies.

3. In areas of high water, requirements like cropped areas, effective soil and water conservation techniques should be adopted with the guidance of engineers.

4. Industrial activities in the nearby areas, which are hazardous to the environment, should be regulated through laws.

5. Sustainable and effective land use system should be followed.

6. Waste and marginal lands should be amended properly so that they can be brought under crop cover, so as to reduce their further degradation.

7. Implementation of agro-forest ecosystem wherever water erosion is a serious threat

8. Adoption of integrated watershed management system and integrated balanced nutrient management system.

9. The use of efficiency of different factors of production should be increased.

10. Auto regenerating the soil fertility by adding organic matter through microorganisms and incorporation of crop residues should be facilitated.