The GENERAL OBJECTIVE of this presentation is to provide an overview of the problem of LAND DEGRADATION with particular

emphasis on the problem of DEFORESTATION

TARGET GROUP
Classes: IX - XII
Ages: 13 -18

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After interacting with this software the learner will be able to:

DEFINE Land degradation and deforestation

IDENTIFY
Factors responsible for land degradation and deforestation

STATE
Effects of deforestation on the environment

ASSESS
Consequences of deforestation on human population

EVOLVE
Strategies to combat effects of deforestation

Land degradation is the over exploitation and depletion of land resources, such as, soil, forests, and pasture land.

It happens as a result of deforestation and desertification.

FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR LAND DEGRADATION

Deforestation
Soil Erosion

Mining activities
Solid waste disposal

Agricultural practices

WHAT IS A FOREST?

It is a plant community consisting of trees and woody vegetation with a more or less closed canopy.

It is a renewable resource with rich flora and fauna It provides fuel wood, timber and other forest produce.

Cleans the air Protects the soil Influences the environment to make it habitable

What is Deforestation?
Deforestation is the permanent conversion of forests to other uses such as; pastures,
shifting

cultivation,

agricultural land ...

Shifting Cultivation is preceded by slash and burn of forests leading to massive deforestation

or for other activities, like Setting up industries

Building roads and railway tracks

Road building in the Amazon forest

Constructing dams

Effects of deforestation on the general environment:

loss of genetic material, Loss of flora and fauna

decline in agricultural productivity due to massive soil erosion and landscape degradation

Increase in levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide leading to the melting of polar ice caps and thus causing the sea level to rise.

IMPACT OF DEFORESTATION ON HUMAN POPULATIONS Under develop ment

Low Quality of Life

Poverty

MEASURES TO CHECK DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS -Proper management of forests A forest sensitive development policy

Extensive afforestation in degraded areas

Agricultural practices:

by these we mean practices which have an adverse impact on soil fertility and productivity, e.g. unskilled irrigationleading to salinity and water logging, use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and the practice of shifting cultivation.

Desertification:

A process by which land becomes increasingly infertile and unproductive until almost no vegetation grows on it, making it a desert.This could happen due to soil erosion, increasing salinity or water logging.

Mining Activities

:the two types of mining activities;

open cast and underground mining, lead to the deposition of ore on adjacent sites.This not only causes unwanted occupation of land, but when this ore is washed out to agricultural fields the debris blocks drainage channels and results in water logging. The other environmental problem is run off of acids and toxic substances into nearby surface water and soil erosion.

Overgrazing

:it results in the absence of ground

vegetation, which causes soil erosion, gradual depletion of soil organisms, ultimately leading to the transformation of land into wasteland.

Soil erosion

:It is a natural and normal

process, by which the earths crust is constantly eroded under the forces of weathering

Solid waste disposal

:any unwanted or discharged

non-liquid waste material generated from domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural activities

WHAT IS AFFORESTATION?
Afforestation involves plantation in wastelands, degraded government lands, private and village panchayat land, road sides, canal banks, along railway lines etc. the purpose is to grow trees and other vegetation to provide green cover which may be of commercial importance.
see an example of successful afforestation at Kudremukh, Karnataka where iron ore mines had ravaged the landscape

Kudremukh

At kudremukh a massive yet brisk afforestation programme unfolds a serene spectacle of over 7.5 million trees to restore the the mined mountain scape to its original splendour. The green silence of the hills, comes alive with life, bird sanctuary, wildlife sanctuary and picnic spots supported by KIOCL adorn the region enhancing scenic beauty.

ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS
In the past economists dealing with the issue of growth and development have not paid adequate attention to the economic implications of environmental pollution and the depletion and degradation of natural resources. However, with increasing exploitation and degradation of natural resources and neglect of the environment having direct and indirect, impact on human lives it has now become necessary to compute the economic effect of environmental degradation. Deteriorating air quality, difficulties faced in disposal of solid waste, increasing pollution of land, water and soil and depletion of forest cover are steadily impacting the productivity of human populations in the negative realm. Environmental Economics is a relatively new subject helping to develop approaches and methodologies for costing of the environment and placing an economic value on environmental degradation and damage.

GOVERNMENTS ROLE IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT The government has enacted several laws such as

The Environmental (Protection) Act, (1986)

Forest Conservation Act, 1980

The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

STUDENT QUIZ
ARE YOU ABLE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS? What is land degradation? What is deforestation? What are the underlying causes of deforestation?

Describe the effect of deforestation on the environment and on people?

STUDENT PROJECT
Research and document information on at least two ongoing peoples movements to conserve or stop the destruction of forests in the country.
Present your findings in the form of a multimedia presentation.

CREDITS:
Presentation developed by: Reeta Kapur

Snehlata Gupta

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Looking Back to Think Ahead - GREEN India 2047 by TERI, New Delhi.

Man and Environment - M.C. Dash and P.C. Mishra (Macmillan India Ltd.)
Indian Economy - a textbook for class XI, N.C.E.R.T.

Encarta Encyclopaedia
www.terin.org