Challege of Desertification of Soil. बंजर हो रही है जमीन- खाद्य सुरक्षा खतरे में
Challege
of Desertification of Soil.
बंजर हो रही है जमीन- खाद्य सुरक्षा खतरे में
Even as it prepares to host a
global conference on rising desertification, India faces a growing crisis of
land degradation: Nearly 30% of its land area, as much as the area of
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra put together, has been degraded
through deforestation, over-cultivation, soil erosion, and depletion. Even as
it prepares to host a global conference on rising desertification, India faces
a growing crisis of land degradation: This question will lead discussions at
the 14th Conference of Parties (COP 14) of the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification (UNCCD), starting on September 2, 2019 in New Delhi.
This is the first time India will host this biennial gathering of 196
countries, scientists, private leaders, industry experts and non-profits. Ahead
of the event, India has pledged to restore 5 million hectares of degraded land
by 2030. But this is just 1.5% of the country's geographical area, 28.5
percentage points less than the total land left degraded. For countries like
India that are highly vulnerable to climate change, land degradation is a
critical issue.
Degraded land loses its
capacity to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas (GHG) that is the
biggest factor in worsening global warming. Over 600 million people risk the
impact of climate change in India and if land degradation is not addressed, the
problem could get more acute. The country is home to 18% of the world's
population with only 2.4% of its land. To halt land degradation, countries need
to halt land-use change, work on forest conservation and step upland
restoration, as per ‘Special Report on Climate Change and Land’, the latest
report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This report
will inform the deliberations at COP 14 in Delhi and the United Nations Climate
Change Conference (COP25) The global food system--including pre- and post-production
activities--accounts for 37% of total human-caused GHG emissions. Agriculture,
deforestation and other land-use activities specifically account for 23% of GHG
emissions from human activities, said the report on land degradation. People
currently use one-fourth of land’s production potential for food, feed, fibre,
timber and energy, directly affecting more than 70% of the global ice-free land
surface, as per the report.
Why India should worry Here are some findings
about land and climate change from the latest IPCC report that have particular
implications for India: Forests: About 23% of GHG emissions from human
activities come from the overuse of chemical fertilisers, soil erosion,
deforestation and change in land use, as mentioned earlier. Managing these
resources is important as they are fast depleting. Forests are one of the most
important solutions to climate change. India has lost 1.6 million hectares of
forest cover over 18 years to 2018, about four times the geographical area of
Goa, Hindustan Times reported on April 26, 2019. The government allowed the
felling of more than 10 million trees in India over five years to 2015.
Food Security:
Upto 60% of land in India is under cultivation contributing 14% to its GDP. It
is one of the most vulnerable sectors in the country to be affected by
increasing extreme weather events caused by global warming. Most affected are
the small and marginal farmers owning less than two hectares of land, who
make-up about 80% of the total farmers in India. There are two types of
solutions: Those with immediate impact such as conservation of wetlands,
rangelands and mangroves which absorb huge stocks of GHGs like CO2 from the
atmosphere. There are other solutions that are more long-term: Planting of
trees, reforestation and afforestation.
Avoiding, reducing and reversing
desertification would enhance soil fertility and increase carbon storage in
soils and biomass while benefiting agricultural productivity and food security.
Prevention of desertification is, however, preferable to attempts to restore
degraded land. Over 30% of food is wasted or lost globally, which contributes
to 10% of total GHG emissions from human activities. A number of response
options such as increased food productivity, dietary choices and food losses
and waste reduction can reduce the demand for land conversion. This could free
land and create opportunities for enhanced implementation of other strategies
listed here. Cafforestation, tree planting and ecosystem restoration programmes
that can function as “green walls” and “green dams” that reduce dust and
sandstorms and sand dune movement.
Manmath Biradar
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The
Beauty of Deserts The Challenge of Desertification - unccd,
The immense
challenge of desertification in india
Desertification,land
degradation and drought,
Sustainable Development Knowledge
Platform,
Desertification - Wikipedia,
Deserts and desertification: Challenges
but also opportunities -
The Challenge Of
Desertification,
Desertification is greatest threat to planet,
expert
warns,
Explainer: Desertification and the role of climate change
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