By Ibu Sanjeeb Garg
BEATING THE RHETORIC
Desertification of land has emerged as a major threat to the world in recent times. Desertification refers to the degradation of land ecosystems by climatic changes and human activities. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification defines it as “land degradation in arid, sub-arid and dry sub humid areas, resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities”. Land degradation in turn is defined as the loss of economic productivity of dry lands.
a valuable commodity. Land is often linked to livelihood in terms of crops, firewood; livestock, all of which depend on land in one way or the other. When faced with desertification, people often resort to making use of land that is even less productive, transforming pieces of rangeland into cultivated land, or moving towards cities or even to other countries. This can lead to unsustainable agricultural practices, further land degradation, exacerbated urban sprawl, and socio-political problem. Thus land desertification is not only an ecological issue but one which has wider ramifications spanning across economics and welfare.
Recently, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched a desertification atlas presenting state-wise desertification and land degradation status maps depicting land use, process of degradation and severity level. This was prepared using IRS Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) data of 2011-13 and 2003-05 time frames in GIS environment. Area under desertification / land degradation for both time frames and changes were reported state-wise as well as for the entire country.
The report points to quite a number of concerns. Nearly 30% of the country’s total geographical area is undergoing degradation in some form. Desertification increased by 1.16 million hectares (m ha) and stood at 86.24 m ha in 2012-13. Delhi, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh showed high rate of desertification and degradation in the last ten years. While other states have done marginally well, 9 bigger states account for 24 per cent of the desertification in the country alone in absolute numbers. Water erosion at 26 per cent seems to be the biggest causes of land desertification followed by degrading vegetation (rising slightly to nearly nine per cent) and land or soil erosion due to wind. This report assumes prominence towards forming an action plan to combating desertification since India intends to achieve neutral land degradation status by 2030.
In terms of area under the threat of desertification and land degradation compared to the total area of the country, the North Eastern states do not fare bad. However one must account for the fact that barring Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, most of the North Eastern states have smaller geographical areas compared to the rest of the country. Thus, the correct picture emerges when area under desertification and land degradation is compared as a percentage to the state’s own geographical area.
geographical area. It is here that the numbers are dismal. Between 2003-05 and 2011- 13, in Nagaland, the total area under desertification and degradation compared to the state’s Total Geographical Area (TGA has risen from 38.74 per cent to 47.45 per cent. Nagaland is in fact the sixth highest state in terms of area under desertification compared to the TGA of the state. During the same period, the percentage of area under desertification compared to the state TGA has risen from 31.21 per cent to 41.69 per cent in Tripura, 22.96 per cent in Manipur and 22.01 per cent in Meghalaya. Only Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have an area less than ten percent under desertification. Tripura and Nagaland stood second and third, just after Delhi, in highest increase in degradation and desertification compared to state TGA in the last decade
In a predominantly rural area with very less urban pockets, such rapidly increasing desertification numbers are a threat to the livelihood of the people. In the case of North Eastern states, the most significant process of land degradation is due to Vegetative Degradation.
To combat the rapidly increasing problem of land degradation and desertification in the North East, a conservation policy has to be conceptualised by planners. The goal has to be sustainable development and proper management of the land resource ecosystem. This sustainable development encompasses different parameters, including land conservation and management, water conservation and management, ensuring livelihood and livelihood protection, renewable energy and use of science and technology initiatives. The government has kickstarted a number of schemes in each of these areas; however the most important element across each of these schemes is community participation.
One of the first steps that must be taken to arrest this increasing trend is awareness among communities. North East is home to myriad tribes and ethnicities where the “elders” have a predominant say in how a particular social unit functions. Such community elders must take initiative towards combating this problem. Nagaland already has started preliminary groundwork in this matter which can be used as a template by the other states of the North East.
Land and water management can be achieved by harnessing traditional knowledge systems which were largely sustainable. The first step towards this can be documentation of local traditional knowledge/ practices related to farming, water conservation, weather forecasting etc. Other steps include establishment of green belt of traditional plants, practicing water harvesting techniques, development of soak pits, conservation of local water bodies, preparation and promotion of bio-pesticides, biofertilzers, vermi-compost, establishments of trenches, bunds, soak pits etc., Such documented ideas can be disseminated through dialogues, workshops and field visits .
Some of the techniques which can help control land degradation are fixating the soil through the use of shelter belts, woodlots and windbreaks. Windbreaks can be constructed with trees and bushes that ensures that wind will not wipe the soft top soil off the surface land. Soft soil like clay can become consolidated and break into lumps and eventually harden, becoming useless for agriculture. To prevent this, proper drainage system must be put in place. Traditional tillage systems like zaï are often effective as sustainable practise. Another effective technique to control soil erosion and hence land degradation is contour trenching. In this method trenches are made which are dug parallel to the height lines of the landscape, preventing the water from flowing beyond the trenches and causing erosion. Stone walls are placed around the trenches to prevent the trenches from closing up again. Sand fences can also be used to control drifting of soil and sand erosion. Such techniques can go a long way in preventing soil degradation.
North East is a region abundant in rainfall which is perhaps why a proper water conservation roadmap is missing. However with changing climatic conditions and global warming, rain pattern is expected to undergo change. Hence, water conservation techniques like rainwater harvesting, digging ponds and lakes etc. will help in water conservation which in turn would prevent land degradation.
he most potent tool that can combat desertification and rapid land degradation. Enriching of soil and fixing nutrients in the soil can be done most effectively by none other than plants. Hence efforts must be made to reforest those areas which have come under threat. Further, local communities must be made responsible stakeholders in their respective forest ecosystem.
Large parts of the total population of North East reside in rural areas and are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Increasing degradation and desertification of land is a threat to all of them, A proper well thought and well laid out plan with community participation is the need of the hour.
(The views expressed by the author are personal)