Soil plays a vital role in our ecosystem. It provides nutrients, water, oxygen, and heat to natural areas. As it is an important natural resource, it has recently been degraded.
WHAT IS SOIL CONSERVATION?
Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the topmost layer of the soil from erosion, acidification, salinization, or overuse of fertilizers.
Soil conservation is essential for :
-Reducing climate change’s harmful effects worldwide
-maintaining a balanced climate cycle
-providing a healthy ecosystem where plants, trees, and animals can live
– practicing sustainable farming methods
SOIL DEGRADATION IN INDIA
Soil degradation in India is estimated to occur on 147 million hectares (Mha) of land, including 94Mha from water erosion, 16 Mha from acidification, 14Mha from flooding, 9 Mha from wind erosion, 6 Mha from salinity and 7 Mha from a combination of factors. This is extremely serious because India supports 18% of the world’s human population and 15% of the world’s livestock population but has only 2.4% of the world’s land area. India ranks second in farm output despite its low proportional land area. Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries account for 17% of the gross domestic product and employ about 50% of the total workforce of the country.
CAUSES OF LAND DEGRADATION
Population: The indirect activities included pressure on agricultural intensification and population growth. About 220 million hectares of tropical forest were degraded between 1975 and 1990, mainly for food production. With the increase in population, more land is needed for producing food, fiber, and fuel wood leading to increasing pressure on the limited land resources. Therefore, the land gets degraded.
Human activities: human-induced causes of many human activities that lead to land degradation directly or indirectly include deforestation, overgrazing by livestock, wrong irrigation practices, urban sprawl and commercial development, pollution from industries, mining activities, etc.
Urbanization: increased urbanization due to population growth reduces agricultural land. New lands comprising natural ecosystems such as forests are cleared to compensate for this loss of agricultural land. Therefore, urbanization leads to deforestation, affecting millions of plant and animal species.
Fertilizers and pesticides: Increased application of fertilizers and pesticides is needed to increase farm output in new lands, thereby leading to pollution of land, water, and soil degradation.
METHODS TO SOLVE LAND DEGRADATION
Curb industrial farming
Tilling, multiple harvests, and agrochemicals have boosted yields at the expense of sustainability. Responsible regulation of land and agriculture would help, but we need to be frank about our too. Evidence shows we should eat much smaller quantities of sustainably reared, grass-fed meat.
Bring back the trees
Without plant and tree cover, erosion happens much more quickly. Sustainable forest management efforts and reforestation schemes are crucial to combating soil degradation.
Limit ploughing
Pockets of farmers worldwide, from Kenya to the Cotswolds, are experimenting with zero tillage, also known as conservation agriculture. Efforts center around ensuring no bare soil is exposed with ‘cover crops’ planted directly after harvest. These protect the soil while returning nutrients and plant matter too. In warm climates, they also preserve moisture.
Replace goodness
Organic farmers who add compost and manure to the soil replenish nutrients while reducing flooding risk and capturing carbon. Circular economy proponents recommended not spending bio waste in landfill but using it to create organic soil improvers and fertilizers and to grow in. These could then replace fossil-based products such as mineral fertilizers and peat.
Leave land alone
Leaving more land alone, despite the challenges of a growing population, is another solution to soil degradation. It takes around 500 years for just 2.5 cm of topsoil to be created. Taking land out of production would allow soil carbon to rebuild and become stable.
Written by: Kartik naik
Image source: Google
NSS IIT Bombay 