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Causes
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Population Pressure
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- The rising human population places increasing strain on land and natural resources for purposes such as housing, farming, and infrastructure development. As the demand for space and food production grows, the risk of land overuse and degradation escalates. This mounting pressure accelerates the process of desertification, especially in areas that are already ecologically fragile.
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Increase in Cattle Population, Overgrazing
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- The expansion of the cattle population, combined with overgrazing, can accelerate desertification.
- Overgrazing occurs when livestock excessively consume vegetation, leaving the soil exposed and vulnerable to erosion. The removal of vegetation cover reduces the land’s ability to retain water, leading to soil degradation and making it more susceptible to desertification.
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Increased Agriculture
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- The expansion of agriculture, often driven by the need to feed a growing population, can contribute to desertification. Large-scale clearing of land for farming, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, disrupts natural ecosystems.
- The removal of vegetation for agriculture reduces the land’s ability to capture and retain water, leading to soil erosion and increased aridity, ultimately facilitating desertification.
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Development Activities:
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- Various development projects, such as the construction of roads, dams, and urban areas, can alter the landscape and contribute to desertification.
- These activities often involve the removal of vegetation and disruption of natural water flow, leading to increased soil erosion.
- The conversion of natural landscapes for development can accelerate the transformation of fertile land into degraded areas prone to desertification.
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Deforestation
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- The widespread clearing of forests, either for timber or to make way for other land uses, significantly contributes to desertification.
- Forests play a crucial role in maintaining soil fertility and regulating water cycles.
- Deforestation disrupts these processes, leading to reduced water retention, increased soil erosion, and ultimately, the transformation of land into arid or semi-arid conditions conducive to desertification.
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Status of Indian Desertification: Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India
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Details
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- The “Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India,” by the Space Application Centre, shows data on degraded lands from 2003-05 to 2018-19. As of 2021, 29.07% of India’s total land area, equivalent to 97.58 million hectares, is undergoing land degradation. Among this, 82.64 million hectares face desertification.
- To address biodiversity loss, India aims to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. The country hosted the 14th session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in 2019. India is working towards achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) commitments by focusing on sustainable land resource use.
- India’s control measures include being a signatory to the UNCCD, with a National Action Programme since 2001.
- Key programs addressing land degradation include:
- Integrated Watershed Management
- National Afforestation
- National Mission for Green India
- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
- Soil Conservation
- National Watershed Development
- Desert Development Programme.
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