Conserving land & water
Ghazala Farid
Human Security is threatened by desertification, land degradation and
drought (DLDD. They are depriving people of their means of life by
taking away food, access to water, the means for economic activities,
and even their homes. Failing policies for protecting environment in
many countries and climatic change are putting more pressure on the soil
today than ever. When secure water and food supplies are not guaranteed,
people frequently migrate to areas where they believe they can find
them. The most recent estimates put the number of the environmentally
displaced people from anywhere between 17 and 24 million around the
world. It is projected that for the period leading up to the year 2050
there will be 200 million environmentally induced migrants.
The three sources of threat to the human security i.e., desertification,
land degradation and drought are interlinked. However, the resultant
effect of the three is more in the shape of desertification. Nature and
human being himself both have a role in the gradual transformation of
habitable land into desert. Often misinterpreted as an expansion of
existing deserts, desertification is actually a gradual process of land
degradation in arid, semi-arid, and sub-humid areas triggered by
unsustainable land practices, deforestation, overgrazing and extreme
climatic variations such as prolonged droughts and floods. In this
ultimate process, land loses its productivity, vegetative cover and
capability to support ecosystem functions and services, enhancing risks
and vulnerabilities of poor dryland communities for food security and
sustainable livelihoods. In the absence of alternate safety nets and
livelihood programs, dryland communities are forced to survive on
depleted land resources and get trapped in unending vicious circle of
poverty.
A global scale environmental challenge of tremendous human and social
dimensions, desertification is directly affecting more than 2.6 billion
people in drylands covering an area of 5.2 billion ha, about 40 % of the
earth’s land surface. Gross annual income loss due to desertification is
estimated at US $ 42 billion. In addition, the livelihoods of about one
billion people who depend on land for most of their needs and usually
the world’s poorest in over one hundred countries are threatened. Every
country and people needs to take serious steps to stop the growing
desertification. Every year, on June 17, the United Nations celebrates
“World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought”, to urge member
countries to take appropriate measures to prevent and reverse the
process of desertification. The day also brings innumerable dryland
related environmental issues at the forefront of national and global
discussion, reinforcing efforts of the governments to initiate
sustainable land management principles and practices to address land
degradation and desertification processes. Land and water, two important
natural resources vital for the survival of all life forms on the planet
earth, are subject to alarming levels of depletion mainly due to
anthropogenic and climatic change factors. This year’s theme “Conserving
land and water = Securing our common future” is in consonance with the
importance of these two primary resources fundamental to the survival of
human beings as well as sustenance of ecosystem functions and services
especially in drylands, sensitive to climate change. Since 1995, the
world day is observed to raise awareness and provide an opportunity to
everyone to reaffirm their resolve that the menace of desertification
can be tackled effectively through collective action and community
participation.
The realization that desertification is a global concern emerged during
first UN Conference on Desertification in Nairobi, Kenya in 1977.
Subsequently, the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED), 1992 recommended the elaboration of a United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The Convention was
adopted in Paris on 17 June, 1994 and entered into force in 1996 and 191
countries are parties to this convention. It is the first international
convention that provides a framework to address the problem of
desertification. Pakistan signed UNCCD in 1994 and ratified it in 1997.
The federal and provincial ministries of Environment are the focal
ministries for implementation of this convention. Being a signatory to
the Convention and also keeping in view the alarming rate of
desertification Pakistan needs to fully adopt the recommendations of the
convention for protection of its environment and checking the rate of
desertification. Eighty per cent of its land is arid and semi-arid, that
makes it mainly a dryland country. On the other hand two-third of its
human population depends on these drylands to support their livelihood.
Like many other developing countries, Pakistan is severely affected by
land degradation and desertification. Unsustainable land management
practices are causing enormous environmental problems, including soil
erosion, loss of soil fertility, flash floods, sedimentation of canals
and water courses, deforestation and associated loss of carbon
sequestration capacity and biodiversity.
Out of 79.6 million hectares total land of the country, only 22.27
million are suitable for agriculture (15.6 million for irrigated farming
and 6.67 million for rain fed agriculture). About 5.2% of Pakistan’s
land area in covered by forests, where as both environmental and
economic standards suggested that the country should have at least 20-25
% area under forests. Around 3 % of forest cover is shrinking annually
and woody biomass by 5%, further aggravating the desertification
process. About 11.2 million hectares mostly northern mountainous regions
are affected by water erosion.
As a result, 40 million tons of sediments are brought into the Indus
basin each year, which has reduced the soil productivity in the area and
shortens the lifespan of major upstream reservoirs. According to an
estimate, about 2 million hectares are affected by water logging and
around 6 million hectares by salinity and sodicity. These problems are
more acute in some irrigated areas of Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan
resulting into low soil fertility, decline in crop yields, and loss of
biodiversity. About 3-5 million hectares of land is affected by wind
erosion in arid regions of Punjab (Cholistan), Sindh (Tharparkar), and
Balochistan (Chagai Desert and sand areas along the coast). Some of the
areas have 0.5 to 4 meter high moving sand dunes, posing danger to
cultivation land and local infrastructure. About 60% of the country is
classified as rangelands. According to an estimate about 48% of
rangelands are degraded. Degradation of rangelands reduces ecosystem
functions and services. It affects local livelihoods and increases
poverty. Land degradation and poverty are closely related. Poverty in
rural landscape is often considered a cause and consequences of
desertification. Therefore, combating land degradation and
desertification in Pakistan requires measures at local, regional and
national levels, including improvement in local management of land
resources and policy reforms at the national level. Some of the
appropriate measures may include: Reforestation through planting more
trees that will help in reduction of the negative impacts of climate
change and slowly reduce the desertification.
Mainstreaming sectoral policies that create enabling environment and
local incentives for rehabilitation of degraded lands; Establish policy
and legal framework for proper land use planning; Diversification of
rural livelihoods to reduce pressure on natural resource base; Promotion
of sustainable management of land and water resources; Creation of
natural resource based enterprises for alleviation of rural poverty;
Promotion indigenous and other cost-effective technologies for
adaptation and mitigation of drought and climate change effects; Raising
of awareness and enhancing knowledge base on land degradation and
desertification issues. Capacity building and empowerment of local
communities in decision making and planning for integrated resource
management. Restore and fertilize the land by preparing compost with
organic matter. Composting is a simple and cheap way to fertilize and
regenerate the soil.
Combat the effects of the wind by constructing barriers and stabilizing
sand dunes with local plant species. Protection of vegetative cover to
prevent wind and water erosion. Community involvement in planning and
implementation of rehabilitation programs The government should respond
to its call that is, avoiding any further desertification and taking
serious steps to make the deserted land once again habitable. It needs
collective action to foster partnerships creating sustainable assets for
rural poor through diversification of resources and natural resource
based enterprises. The global community should also work closely with
one another to combat Desertification and drought or at least mitigate
their effects.
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