Land Degradation and Desertification

🔹 About

1. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land.

2. Desertification is a type of land degradation in drylands in which biological productivity is lost due to natural processes or induced by human activities whereby fertile areas become increasingly arid.

🔹 Stats

1. Some 97.85 million hectares (29.7%) of India’s total geographical area (TGA) of 328.72 mha underwent land degradation during 2018-19.

2. Some 83.69 mha underwent desertification in 2018-19

3. Around 23.79% of the area undergoing desertification / land degradation with respect to TGA of the country was contributed by Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana.

🔹 Causes

1. Loss of Soil Cover

2. Vegetation Degradation

3. Water Erosion

4. Wind Erosion

5. Climate Change

🔹 Measures

1. Integrated Watershed Management Programme

2. Desert Development Programme

3. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

4. National Afforestation Programme

5. National Action Programme to Combat Desertification

6. National Mission on Green India