Soil Degradation in India

IN NEWS:

• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) marked World Soil Day(December 5) 2022 with the launch of its first global report on black soils, which are at greater risk than ever due to the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and land use change.

SOIL DEGRADATION:

• Soil degradation is the loss of the intrinsic physical, chemical, and/or biological qualities of soil either by natural or anthropic processes, which result in the diminution or annihilation of important ecosystem functions. 

STATUS OF SOIL DEGRADATION IN INDIA:

• According to ‘Desertification and Land Degradation of Selected Districts of India’, an atlas published in 2021 by the ISRO’s Space Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, 96.40 million ha, or about 29.32% of the Total Geographic Area (TGA) of the country is undergoing degradation.
• This is extremely serious because India is second most populated country with 1.21 billion population but has only 2.4% of the world's land area.

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CAUSES OF SOIL DEGRADATION:

• Physical Factors:
  • Different types of soil erosion (mainly water and wind erosion) result in the loss of fertile topsoil as well as organic matter thereby declining soil quality
  • For example, soil depth of Sholapur district of Maharashtra declined due to water erosion, land degradation due to wind erosion in arid & semiarid regions of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab.
• Biological Factors:
  • Some bacteria and fungi overgrowth in an area can impact the microbial activity of the soil through biochemical reactions, which reduces the soil productivity capacity.
• Chemical Factors:
  • Increased Alkalinity or acidity or waterlogging(eg: over irrigation) can lead to reduction of soil nutrients 
• Deforestation:
  • Vegetation cover primarily promotes the binding of the soil together and soil formation. When removed, it affects the capabilities of the soil such as aeration, water holding capacity & biological activity.
  • Eg: The degradation in Aravalli hills, due to clearing of natural vegetation for real estate.
• Misuse or excess use of fertilizers:
  • Pesticides and chemical fertilizers kill organisms that assist in binding the soil together. 
  • The complex forms of the fertilizer’s chemicals are also responsible for denaturing essential soil minerals, giving rise to nutrient losses from the soil. 
• Industrial and Mining activities:
  • Mining releases a myriad of toxic chemicals into the soil thereby rendering it unproductive for any other purpose. Eg: Mineral belts of Jharkhand.
  • Industrial activities release toxic effluents and material wastes into the atmosphere, land, rivers, and groundwater that eventually pollute the soil and as such, it impacts on soil quality. 
• Improper cultivation practices:
  • The tillage on agricultural lands breaks up the soil into finer particles, which increase erosion rates.
  • Other improper cultivation activities such as farming on steep slopes, mono-cropping, row-cropping & surface irrigation wear away the natural composition of the soil and its fertility and prevent soil from regenerating.
  • For example, monoculture of water intensive crops in the semi-arid Punjab plains has resulted in groundwater depletion and desertification.
  • Also, in Nagaland, shifting cultivation to meet the needs of the rising population is to blame for desertification.
• Urbanization:
  • Urbanization denudes the soil’s vegetation cover, compacts soil during construction, and alters the drainage pattern.
• Overgrazing:
  • Overgrazing destroys surface crop cover and breaks down soil particles, increasing the rates of soil erosion. Eg: Overgrazing & encroachment of grassland for agricultural activities are the causes for land degradation in Gujarat.

IMPACTS OF SOIL DEGRADATION:

• Economic loss:
  • The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) conservative estimate shows land degradation costs USD 48.8 billion to the country’s exchequer annually.
• Threaten food security:
  • Soil degradation threatens agricultural productivity and can lead to food insecurity. This will have repercussions on poverty alleviation and overall productivity of the economy.
• Impacts Microclimate:
  • Degradation can lead to destruction of vegetation, which will affect the region’s climate and also contribute to climate change.
• Reduce Carbon storage:
  • Loss of green cover, soil infertility and increased soil erosion reduces the soil’s potential to store carbon. This in turn contributes to global warming and aggravates climate change.
• Affects water retention:
  • Soil degradation can reduce the infiltration of water, which results in a lower groundwater table.
• Aggravates disasters:
  • Excessive soil erosion can destabilize slopes leading to landslides. Siltation of rivers due to erosion reduces the carrying capacity of rivers, thereby leading to severe floods and intense droughts.
• Socio-Political Impacts:
  • Soil degradation has serious knock-on effects for humans, such as malnutrition, disease & forced migration.

INDIA’S EFFORTS TOWARDS SOIL CONSERVATION

• GoI’s 5-Pronged Strategy: (Announced by PM during “Save Soil Programme,2022)
  • To make the soil chemical free.
  • To save the organisms that live in the soil
  • To maintain soil moisture
  • To remove the damage that is happening to the soil due to less groundwater. 
  • To stop the continuous erosion of soil due to the reduction of forests.
• National Action Programme to Combat Desertification:
  • Launched in 2001 for 20 years to address issues of increasing desertification and to take appropriate actions.
• Desert Development Programme:
  • To minimize the adverse effect of drought and to rejuvenate the natural resource base of the identified desert areas. It was launched for hot desert areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and cold desert areas of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
• National Afforestation Programme:
  • The objective of the NAP is the ecological restoration of degraded forests and to develop the forest resources with peoples’ participation, with focus on improvement in livelihoods of the forest-fringe communities.
• Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme:
  • The SHC is used to determine changes in soil health and guide farmers to make necessary soil amendments.
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana:
  • To prevent soil erosion, regeneration of natural vegetation, rainwater harvesting and recharging of the groundwater table.
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA):
  • Promote traditional indigenous practices such as organic farming and natural farming, thereby reducing dependency on chemicals and other agri-inputs.
• National Mission on Green India:
  • It is a part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). It has the objective of protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s diminishing forest cover with a deadline of 10 years.
• NABARD Loan- Soil & Water Conservation Scheme under RIDF:
  • To promote sustainable development through conservation and management of soil and water.
• Commitment to UNCCD:
  • India is a signatory to the UNCCD & is committed to achieve land degradation neutral status by 2030. MoEF&CC is the nodal Ministry for the implementation of the UNCCD.

WAY FORWARD:

• Integrated watershed management which involves soil and water conservation coupled with suitable crop management is an excellent strategy for mitigating soil erosion and land degradation.
• Promote sustainable agriculture: India needs to encourage crop rotation, crop diversification, micro-irrigation, organic farming to tackle soil degradation
• “Green Walls” And “Green Dams”: Natural windbreaks should be constructed to reduce the rate of wind erosion through afforestation and ecosystem restoration programmes
• Integrated Nutrient Management and Organic Manuring: Integrated nutrient management, i.e the application of NPK mineral fertilizers along with organic manure, increases crop productivity, and decreases soil loss.
• Recognizing the key role of Land managers, including indigenous people and local communities in the design, implementation and evaluation of sustainable land management practices.
• Sustainable Urban planning: Focus on urban greenery, replanting with native species, green infrastructure development, remediation of contaminated soils, wastewater treatment and river channel restoration.
• Eliminate incentives that promote degradation like subsidies that reward overproduction, and devising positive incentives to reward the adoption of sustainable land management practices.
• Reclamation of affected Soils and Drainage through measures such as using lime and gypsum, zero tillage & use of leguminous crops. Mined land can be better reclaimed by proper backfilling of topsoil and re-vegetating them with the help of geo-textiles.
• Promoting Agroforestry : Involves growing crops around trees and other plants. They act as a form of protection against wind and water damage and encourage biodiversity.
• Communities, farmers and corporations can be educated about sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Discuss the causes and consequences of soil degradation in India. Suggest various measures for soil conservation.