The Escalating Crisis of Land Degradation
Land, a fundamental resource like air and water, is facing a severe global threat: degradation. This environmental challenge has far-reaching consequences, impacting food security, escalating food prices, accelerating climate change, increasing environmental hazards, and diminishing biodiversity and essential ecosystem services. The alarming rate of land degradation is contributing to a substantial decline in the productivity of both cropland and rangeland across the globe.
Without immediate and decisive interventions, this critical issue will only worsen, solidifying its position as one of the world's most pressing environmental concerns. Currently, approximately 25% of the Earth's total land area exhibits signs of degradation. This degradation releases significant amounts of soil carbon and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere, establishing it as a major contributor to climate change. Scientists have issued stark warnings, revealing that a staggering 24 billion tons of fertile soil is lost annually due to unsustainable agricultural practices. Should these trends persist, a dire projection suggests that 95% of the world’s land areas could be degraded by 2050.
The repercussions of land degradation are felt by 3.2 billion people worldwide, predominantly within rural communities and among smallholder farmers. As the global population is projected to surge by approximately 35%, reaching 9.7 billion by 2050, the demand for agricultural products like food, animal feed, fiber, and biofuel will inevitably escalate. This places increasing strain on global resources. Adding to this pressure are agricultural production systems that have become less resilient in the face of biodiversity loss and natural fluctuations, including climate variability and extreme weather events. Climate change further exacerbates variations in crop yields and agricultural income, threatening the resilience of agroecosystems and the stability of food production systems.
These challenges are particularly acute in the world's arid and semi-arid dryland regions. Dryland landscapes encompass approximately 40% of the global land area and support a population of two billion people. The majority of the world's dryland inhabitants reside in developing nations, where women and children are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of land degradation and extended periods of drought.
Underlying Causes of Land Degradation
Growing Demand
The increasing global demand for essential resources like food, fodder, fuel, and raw materials intensifies pressure on land and fuels competition for natural resources. This demand fundamentally impacts land use, leading to overgrazing and the conversion of land to other purposes.
Unsustainable Agricultural Practices
In India, agriculture occupies a significant portion of the land, approximately 141 million hectares. Unfortunately, inadequate land and water management practices within the agricultural sector have substantially contributed to land degradation. Irrigation practices and the extensive use of chemical inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides, contribute a great deal to environmental degradation.