Estimation of Soil Erosion in India. [Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering 109, 419 (19... more Estimation of Soil Erosion in India. [Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering 109, 419 (1983)]. Dhruva VV Narayana, Ram Babu. Abstract. Soil erosion is a serious problem in India. In the absence of precise estimates of ...
Common understanding of the causes of land-use and land-cover change is dominated by simplificati... more Common understanding of the causes of land-use and land-cover change is dominated by simplifications which, in turn, underlie many environment-development policies. This article tracks some of the major myths on driving forces of land-cover change and proposes alternative pathways of change that are better supported by case study evidence. Cases reviewed support the conclusion that neither population nor poverty alone constitute the sole and major underlying causes of land-cover change worldwide. Rather, peoples' responses to economic opportunities, as mediated by institutional factors, drive land-cover changes. Opportunities and : S 0 9 5 9 -3 7 8 0 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 0 0 7 -3
Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, Jan 1, 2000
The Green Revolution in India has achieved self-sufficiency in food production. However, in the s... more The Green Revolution in India has achieved self-sufficiency in food production. However, in the state of Haryana this has resulted in continuous environmental degradation, particularly of soil, vegetation and water resources. Soil organic matter levels are declining and the use of chemical inputs is intensifying. Newly introduced crop varieties have been responsive to inputs but this has necessitated both increased fertiliser application and use of irrigation resulting in water contamination by nitrate and phosphate and changes in the ground water table. With 82% of the geographic area already under cultivation, the scope for increased productivity lies in further intensification which is crucially dependent on more energy-intensive inputs. Declining nutrient-use efficiency, physical and chemical degradation of soil, and inefficient water use have been limiting crop productivity, whilst the use of monocultures, mechanisation and an excessive reliance on chemical plant protection have reduced crop, plant and animal diversity in recent years. About 60% of the geographical area faces soil degradation (waterlogging, salinity and alkalinity) which threatens the region's food security in the future. Since 1985, the water table has risen more than 1 m annually, and patches of salinity have started to appear at the farm level. The situation is worse in higher rainfall areas where waterlogging follows shortly after the rains. Apart from affecting agricultural crops, a high water table causes floods even following slight rains due to the reduced storage capacity of the soil. Such ecological impacts are motivating farmers to reduce fertiliser and pesticides use. This has led to an increased investment in alternative technology and products including an interest in Integrated Pest Management. The paper discusses major physical, hydrological, chemical and biological constraints relating to soil and water resources for ecosystem sustainability. : S 0 1 6 7 -8 8 0 9 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 2 1 9 -X
ABSTRACT Because land degradation from water-induced soil erosion is a serious prob-lem in Indiu ... more ABSTRACT Because land degradation from water-induced soil erosion is a serious prob-lem in Indiu and onlyfragmentary information on factors affecting soil erosion is available, an attempt was made to prepare a countrywide map of soil erosion rates for land use plan-ning. To ...
Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, Jan 1, 2001
The amount, the rate and the intensity of land use and land cover change are very high in develop... more The amount, the rate and the intensity of land use and land cover change are very high in developing countries. The human impacts upon the land are still very great and increasing. This study analyses the process of human-induced landscape transformation in a micro watershed in mid elevation zone of central Himalaya of India in 1963India in , 1986India in and 1996. The watershed (about 80 km 2 in size) comprises a small mountainous valley with steep slopes and deep cut ravines, typical of the landscape pattern in high population intensity mid elevation zone of central Himalaya. The spatial and temporal change patterns of land use were quantified by interpreting remote sensing (RS) data and use a geographical information system (GIS). During the last 33 years, the vegetal cover was altered drastically with increasing population pressure (both human and animal), agricultural activities and industrial wood/raw material extraction activities. The traditional rain fed agriculture on raised terraces has passed through a process of agricultural intensification but this in turn reduced crop species diversity. Restriction on agricultural expansion by transferring large parts of vegetated areas to conservation forestry under government control and unrestrained agricultural expansion on community lands which supported fuel, fodder and manure requirements has resulted in a unbalanced land use. This in turn led to deforestation and environmental degradation. Some limiting factors such as socio-economic and policy forces caused these changes in natural resource management practices and the resulting land use patterns. The study showed that although development interventions such as World Bank aided Integrated Watershed Development Programme, etc., showed promising results in regenerating the resources; the lack of follow-up required after programme withdrawal might cause the deterioration of resources accrued during such regeneration activities. Such local impacts need to be considered in national policies and especially when time bound international aid based programmes are to be implemented.
Estimation of Soil Erosion in India. [Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering 109, 419 (19... more Estimation of Soil Erosion in India. [Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering 109, 419 (1983)]. Dhruva VV Narayana, Ram Babu. Abstract. Soil erosion is a serious problem in India. In the absence of precise estimates of ...
Common understanding of the causes of land-use and land-cover change is dominated by simplificati... more Common understanding of the causes of land-use and land-cover change is dominated by simplifications which, in turn, underlie many environment-development policies. This article tracks some of the major myths on driving forces of land-cover change and proposes alternative pathways of change that are better supported by case study evidence. Cases reviewed support the conclusion that neither population nor poverty alone constitute the sole and major underlying causes of land-cover change worldwide. Rather, peoples' responses to economic opportunities, as mediated by institutional factors, drive land-cover changes. Opportunities and : S 0 9 5 9 -3 7 8 0 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 0 0 7 -3
Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, Jan 1, 2000
The Green Revolution in India has achieved self-sufficiency in food production. However, in the s... more The Green Revolution in India has achieved self-sufficiency in food production. However, in the state of Haryana this has resulted in continuous environmental degradation, particularly of soil, vegetation and water resources. Soil organic matter levels are declining and the use of chemical inputs is intensifying. Newly introduced crop varieties have been responsive to inputs but this has necessitated both increased fertiliser application and use of irrigation resulting in water contamination by nitrate and phosphate and changes in the ground water table. With 82% of the geographic area already under cultivation, the scope for increased productivity lies in further intensification which is crucially dependent on more energy-intensive inputs. Declining nutrient-use efficiency, physical and chemical degradation of soil, and inefficient water use have been limiting crop productivity, whilst the use of monocultures, mechanisation and an excessive reliance on chemical plant protection have reduced crop, plant and animal diversity in recent years. About 60% of the geographical area faces soil degradation (waterlogging, salinity and alkalinity) which threatens the region's food security in the future. Since 1985, the water table has risen more than 1 m annually, and patches of salinity have started to appear at the farm level. The situation is worse in higher rainfall areas where waterlogging follows shortly after the rains. Apart from affecting agricultural crops, a high water table causes floods even following slight rains due to the reduced storage capacity of the soil. Such ecological impacts are motivating farmers to reduce fertiliser and pesticides use. This has led to an increased investment in alternative technology and products including an interest in Integrated Pest Management. The paper discusses major physical, hydrological, chemical and biological constraints relating to soil and water resources for ecosystem sustainability. : S 0 1 6 7 -8 8 0 9 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 2 1 9 -X
ABSTRACT Because land degradation from water-induced soil erosion is a serious prob-lem in Indiu ... more ABSTRACT Because land degradation from water-induced soil erosion is a serious prob-lem in Indiu and onlyfragmentary information on factors affecting soil erosion is available, an attempt was made to prepare a countrywide map of soil erosion rates for land use plan-ning. To ...
Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, Jan 1, 2001
The amount, the rate and the intensity of land use and land cover change are very high in develop... more The amount, the rate and the intensity of land use and land cover change are very high in developing countries. The human impacts upon the land are still very great and increasing. This study analyses the process of human-induced landscape transformation in a micro watershed in mid elevation zone of central Himalaya of India in 1963India in , 1986India in and 1996. The watershed (about 80 km 2 in size) comprises a small mountainous valley with steep slopes and deep cut ravines, typical of the landscape pattern in high population intensity mid elevation zone of central Himalaya. The spatial and temporal change patterns of land use were quantified by interpreting remote sensing (RS) data and use a geographical information system (GIS). During the last 33 years, the vegetal cover was altered drastically with increasing population pressure (both human and animal), agricultural activities and industrial wood/raw material extraction activities. The traditional rain fed agriculture on raised terraces has passed through a process of agricultural intensification but this in turn reduced crop species diversity. Restriction on agricultural expansion by transferring large parts of vegetated areas to conservation forestry under government control and unrestrained agricultural expansion on community lands which supported fuel, fodder and manure requirements has resulted in a unbalanced land use. This in turn led to deforestation and environmental degradation. Some limiting factors such as socio-economic and policy forces caused these changes in natural resource management practices and the resulting land use patterns. The study showed that although development interventions such as World Bank aided Integrated Watershed Development Programme, etc., showed promising results in regenerating the resources; the lack of follow-up required after programme withdrawal might cause the deterioration of resources accrued during such regeneration activities. Such local impacts need to be considered in national policies and especially when time bound international aid based programmes are to be implemented.
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