Factors Causing Land Degradation

Abstract

Land degradation, a decline in land quality caused by many factors, was a major global issue during the twentieth century and will continue to be so in the twenty-first century. Globally, around 3.2 billion people especially in rural communities are affected by land degradation. A number of factors cause land degradation. Among these are natural hazards such as heavy rainfall which cause soil erosion. Land degradation due to wind erosion is common in semi-arid and dry climates. Sandy soils and uncovered lands are prone to wind erosion. Land degradation tends to be common in areas where the topography is hilly and where there is no adequate cover. Unsuitable land use also causes land degradation. Soils in waterlogged alluvial plains or interior basins with restricted outward drainage of groundwater tend to be saline and such lands are less productive and degraded unless crops such as rice which can stand water logged conditions are cultivated. In many countries, steep slopes and mountain lands are cultivated by landless poor people who have limited resources to implement practices to control land degradation. Population growth; a lack of alternative avenues of livelihood, and inequity all contribute to land degradation.