Study of sand mining and related environmental problems. Soil degradation is perceived as being significantly greater in the communal areas than in the commercial areas of south africa, especially on the grazing lands situated along the steep slopes of the escarpment in the eastern parts of south africa figure ia. We would like to thank the participants of the session on how to mobilize societal change to address land degradation and reduce poverty in the developing. Vlek center for development research zef, bonn, germany west african science service center on climate change and adapted land use wascal, accra, ghana.
Most of the degradation is due to soil erosion and biodiversity loss in the less populated areas, while water shortage, soil depletion and soil pollution are most common in the most agricultural areas. Savannah belt in africa, the central united states and some countries in northwest europe. South africa has a long history of desertification research which stretches back to the last century. Assessing land degradation to support sustainable development. Economics of land degradation in eastern africa econstor. Study of sand mining and related environmental problems along.
A recent study by jones and thornton 2009 points to the possibility of such climateinduced livelihood transitions in the mixed croplivestock rainfed aridsemiarid systems of africa. Economics of land degradation in subsaharan africa. Overview and stocktaking of land degradation in general and in africa. Land degradation, caused by soil erosion and deforestation, presents an obstacle on agriculture hence threatening the. Mapping of soil properties and land degradation risk in. Poorer communities suffer the most though there is some cause for hope. Land degradation can also be defined in terms of actions. Erosion frequently leads to the formation of badland features on. The need and the scope for government control of livestock numbers lovell s. Land degradation and improvement in south africa i main points 1.
The fynbos and grassland biome are exceptionally vulnerable to iaps. In contrast, a study conducted by lambin and ehrlich 1996, on land cover changes in subsaharan africa from 1982 to 1991, showed vegetation as a good indicator of vegetation dynamics and degradation in many countries in the region including the arid and semiarid regions. What we see is not what we get nas presentation a sustainability challenge. Status and trends in land degradation in africa 43 fig. Land degradation stock photos download 724 royalty free. Dw the center for development research presents its findings on land degradation in berlin. Desertification has been defined as land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities11. Regarding the cost of this degradation to national gdp, this represented about 14%, 7%, 23%, and 5%, of gdp in tanzania malawi, and ethiopia kenya, respectively 6. Is increasingly becoming a serious problem in bhutan.
However, the pressures on land both anthropogenic and environmentinduced are leading to its degradation. Eastern africa including ethiopia has experienced moderate to severe land degradation problems as shown in. This degradation may be the result of numerous factors or a combination thereof, including anthropogenic humanrelated activities such as unsustainable land management practices and climatic variations. Malawi maize lands farmer managed natural regeneration practiced by 1 million farmers. Thats why i am proud that unep has been able to work with the economics of land degradation initiative supported by the giz bmz, the european commission and other valued partners to bring this report to life. Climateinduced livelihood transitions in the agricultural systems of africa are increasingly likely. Land is an important natural resource that underpins most development. I would like to thank all of them for their dedication. As a signatory, south africa is required to develop a national action programme to combat desertification and commissioned a survey of the extent and causes of land degradation in the country. Feb 18, 2016 alarm over land degradation in africa. Land degradation is a global environment and development issue. Deforestation is a major cause of land degradation and destabilization of natural. Land degradation is a change to land that makes it less useful for human beings. Alarm over land degradation in africa new studies show that land degradation is advancing and that african countries are among the worst hit.
Pdf the state of soil degradation in subsaharan africa. Africas environment, economy, lifestyles and livelihoods. Ethiopia, situated in horn of africa, has an area of about 1. New studies show that land degradation is advancing and that african countries are among the worst hit. Previous research indicates that over 70% of the countrys surface has been affected by varying intensities and types of soil erosion. With a population of 80 million, ethiopia is the second most populous country in africa argaw, 2005. Land degradationthe deterioration or loss of the productive capacity of the soils for present and futureis a global challenge that affects everyone through food insecurity, higher food prices, climate change, environmental hazards, and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
These resources contain literature on water, soil and veld degradation in both commercial and communal areas of south africa. Land is a vital resource to humankind, like air and water. Monitoring soil erosion in south africa at a regional. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the physical environment is affected by a. Final submission land degradation in the limpopo province 1 c.
Namibia land degradation neutrality national report 2015 5 foreword the arid environment of the republic of namibia is very sensitive to the negative impacts of land degradation, and restoration and rehabilitation of degraded land is particularly difficult and can only be achieved over the long term. This resource contains various chapters and factsheets on land degradation in south africa. Land degradation here mainly refers to the loss of lifesupporting land resource through soil erosion, desertification, salinization, acidification, etc. Selected world bankfunded projects with slwm components in africa 2006 2019.
Land degradation the process of land degradation in southern africa is blamed on water and wind erosion, sedimentation, longterm destruction of vegetation and diminution of the bioresources. Second, these efforts require substantial financial investments as well as technological, institutional and human capacity. Range degradation, or range enhancement, may occur whether or not overgrazing is occurring. This section describes land degradation trends in kenya as an introduction to the following pairs of satellite. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. Sep 17, 2014 south africa has a long history of desertification research which stretches back to the last century. Final submission land degradation in the limpopo province 3 c. Challenges and opportunities policy brief land degradation is a major challenge for sustainable development and poverty reduction in central asia. Subsahara africa land degradation sustainable land management land tenure access to markets government. History, nature, causes, consequences, and solutions conacher, arthur encyclopedia of life support systems eolss above. Pdf the primary cause of soil degradation in subsaharan africa ssa is expansion and intensification of agriculture in efforts to feed its growing. Soil degradation in patagonia, argentina is attributed to the heavy grazing pressure associated with the sheep monoculture in the region. Estimated impacts of soil degradation on the african.
History, nature, causes, consequences, and solutions conacher, arthur encyclopedia of life support systems eolss peoples attitudes, perceptions and knowledge, actions or inactions by government agencies, and inappropriate government policies. Policy brief may, 2016 addressing land degradation in. Land degradation is defined as the temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity of the land, and the diminution of the productive potential, including its major land uses e. South africa is especially susceptible to iaps and this is nationally perceived as the countrys greatest land degradation threat, partly because it reduces national streamflow by 2. Uptodate, quantitative information is needed to support policy and action for food and water security, economic development, environmental integrity and resource conservation. The degradation of agricultural land in south africa was exacerbated by inequitable land ownership, and most of the degradation has happened in the former homeland areas meadows and hoffman, 2002. Drought, land degradation and desertification in africa. Thus, arthur and jeanette conacher defined land degradation as alterations to all aspects of the biophysical environment by human actions to the. Soil degradation in patagonia, argentina is attributed to the heavy grazing pressure. The condition of the soil is one of the best indicators of land degradation.
Land degradation processes are ongoing over large part of the earth land surface figure 3. Land degradation is, usually, the result of complex interrelationships between biophysical and socioeconomic issues which affect many people and their land, specially in the tropics and developing countries. Jarvis1 department of agricultural and resource economics university of california, davis introduction livestock production has been an integral part of farming systems for hundreds of years in many. Pdf there is insufficient data on the extent, severity and trend of land degradation in africa. The economics of land degradation in africa eld initiative.
It is caused both by natural processes and human activities such as unsustainable lumberjack holding the chainsaw. The soil integrates a variety of important processes involving vegetation growth, overland flow of water, infiltration, land use and land management. The process of land degradation in southern africa is blamed on water and wind erosion, sedimentation, longterm destruction of vegetation and diminution of the bioresources. Land degradation can be defined in several ways depending upon the subject that needs to be emphasized. The economics of land degradation benefits of action outweigh the costs a complementary report to the eld initiative the economics of land degradation in africa. Land degradation and improvement in south africa 1. Policy brief may, 2016 addressing land degradation in central asia. The term land degradation involves both soil and vegetation degradation. Unlike previous investigations into land degradation in south africa this analysis suggests that climatic conditions, especially those since the late 1970s, might have had a more important influence on land degradation patterns in south africa than is currently appreciated. Stock grazing is the most widespread use of dry lands and is regarded as a major cause of desertification. Changes in net primary productivity 1981 2003 novi 20 o no change 015 draft version v12 9 maize mixed 15 30 30 50 farming systems. Environmental degradation africa, northcase studies. Unesco eolss sample chapters water resources management vol.
Third, for africas interests to be taken into consideration, it is necessary to speak with one. In the past, much of the blame for land degradation has been placed on. To establish the scale of land degradation, experts have been conducting research from space. Land degradation is more pronounced in the eastern parts and north eastern parts of kenya as shown in fig.
There is little doubt, for instance, that the worsening environmental degradation has undermined the institutional mechanisms that govern access to land and water in the region. It is widely recognized that soil degradation is becoming increasingly prevalent in many parts of subsaharan africa ssa, but its spatial extents and severity from local to continental scales are in general poorly understood bassett and zueli, 2000, warren, 2002. Degradation cont also included is salinization of soils due to poor farming methods inability of the. Land degradation in south africa is a significant environmental problem throughout the whole country meadows and hoffman, 2002. Experiences from the south african land degradation. The survey results are summarised in a userfriendly book called nature divided. An assessment of land degradation in the save catchment of. Drought, land degradation and desertification in africa note by the secretariat i. Underlying causative factors of land degradation, and environmental mismanagement in general, are poverty and undervaluing of natural resources. Pdf status and trends in land degradation in africa. A general definition of land degradation is presented by wasson 1987 as. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of humaninduced processes acting upon the land. Similarly, although soil and ecosystem health are recognized as important components of land and agricultural.
Economics of land degradation and improvement in kenya. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Deforestation accounts for the major land degradation problem as it results in severe soil erosion, flood, and loss of fertile soil. The nature, extent and causes of land degradation in south. Since agriculture is an important source of rural incomes and employment in the region, declines in crop yields and livestock. Given that livelihoods of the majority of the rural poor heavily depend on natural resources, countries in the region have designed a number of policies and strategies to address land degradation and to enhance productivity. Land degradation in the upper east region of ghana, west africa richard ashaley executive directorsenior research fellow center for policy integration and resources managemnt cpirm rural urban partnership for africa rupfa the upper east region is the smallest and yet, one of the poorest in the country. The state of land degradation in africa future prospects and opportunities world bank support to sustainable land and water management 14 several decades of support lessons learned and looking forward 18 conclusion 26 annex. Land degradation in the upper east region of ghana, west africa.
Also, the most important socioeconomic reasons for land degradation are discussed. Pushpam kumar, unep coordinator and technical editor. Range degradation, as defined, simply means a decline in primary productive capacity, caused by any factor. Subsaharan africa ssa has experienced the most severe land degradation in the world. Economics of land degradation in subsaharan africa springerlink. One of the great spectacles of africa, these vast flocks of flamingoes are. Migration is a complex process, made more so by the role it played in the creation of the apartheid state. Nov 12, 2015 land degradation is more pronounced in the eastern parts and north eastern parts of kenya as shown in fig. Land degradation in south africa by hoffman and ashwell. Land degradation food and agriculture organization of the united. Soil degradation is, in itself, an indicator of land degradation. The rangelands shinyanga, tanzania severe desertification through to the late 1980s.
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