Combating Land Degradation
Land Degradation
A process that threatens ecosystems, food security, and livelihoods worldwide. Land degradation is the decline in the quality and productivity of land due to natural and human-induced factors.
Causes of Land Degradation
1. Overgrazing
Overgrazing
When livestock graze excessively on vegetation, the soil becomes exposed and vulnerable to erosion.
In the Sahel region, overgrazing by cattle and goats has led to widespread soil degradation.
2. Deforestation
Deforestation
Clearing forests for agriculture or urban development removes tree roots that stabilize the soil, increasing erosion and nutrient loss, as well as decreasing water retention capacity.
The Amazon Rainforest, often called the "lungs of the Earth" is a critical carbon sink. However, deforestation for cattle ranching and soy farming has released massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
3. Unsustainable Farming Practices: Overcultivation
- Practices like monocropping, excessive chemical use, and poor irrigation degrade soil health.
- In extreme environments like the Sahel region, overcultivation exacerbates land degradation by depleting soil nutrients and contributing to desertification, reducing agricultural productivity.
In India, overuse of chemical fertilizers has led to soil salinization, reducing crop yields.
4. Climate Change
- In arid regions such as the Sahel, climate change-induced extreme weather events, like intense droughts and unpredictable rainfall, exacerbate land degradation by eroding soil and reducing vegetation cover, threatening local agriculture and livelihoods.
- In cold extreme environments like the Arctic, rising temperatures accelerate permafrost thawing, leading to soil instability and increased land degradation, which disrupts ecosystems and traditional lifestyles.
In sub-Saharan Africa, prolonged droughts have accelerated land degradation, affecting millions.
AnalogyThink of land as a living system. When one part is disrupted, like vegetation removal or poor farming, the entire system suffers.
Consequences of Land Degradation
1. Loss of Arable Land
- Degraded soil loses its fertility, reducing agricultural productivity and reducing income from traditional economic activities: crop cultivation and pastoralism.
- Decreased availability of fuelwood.
- Rural poverty and deteriorating living conditions.
In Ethiopia, degraded land has led to a 40% decline in crop yields over the past decades.
2. Food Insecurity
- With less productive land, communities struggle to grow enough food, leading to hunger and malnutrition.
- Increased dependence on food aid.
The Horn of Africa faces chronic food shortages due to degraded soils and climate variability.
3. Migration Pressures
- As land becomes uninhabitable, people are forced to migrate to urban areas or other regions, increasing social and economic pressures.
- There are social tensions in reception areas and conflicts as different ethnic groups clash along migration routes in search for resources.
In the Sahel, land degradation has contributed to rural-urban migration, straining resources in cities.
