Land degradation refers to a decline in the overall quality of soil, water or vegetation conditions commonly caused by human activities. It can occur due to natural or artificial processes, such as wind-erosion, water-erosion, water logging, etc. The most important human factor that causes extensive land degradation is the unstable and irresponsible use of land and incorrect agricultural management practices. Land degradation is a serious issue as it leads to the depletion of valuable soil nutrients and adversely impacts foodgrain production. This is a threat to global food security. Poor land and farming practices are responsible for continuous land degradation.

There are many factors responsible for land degradation. A major cause is deforestation, which leads to loss of vegetation cover. This promotes wind erosion and washing away of the topsoil. Another important phenomenon responsible for land degradation is overgrazing. Overgrazing is defined as the grazing of natural pastures at stocking intensities above the livestock carrying capacity. Often, human settlements spring up at the edge of forested areas and encroach into the forest lands. Even after the cumulative effects of all these factors manifests as land degradation, the concerned authorities fail to adopt sufficient soil conservation measures. This compounds the existing problem. Moreover, forests and tree groves are important sources of fuel and fodder, particularly for rural dwellers. However, unsustainable resource extraction seriously impacts the health of the land. Unsystematic use of chemically-laced pesticides, insecticides and weedicides is another worrying issue. Other unmethodical agricultural practices include improper planning and management of irrigation systems and extraction of groundwater in excess of recharge capacity.

There are many solutions which can be easily and safely implemented to combat the growing menace of land degradation. Forestation and increasing the area under forest cover can minimise risks associated with loss of fertile soil due to wind, water, human activities etc. Farmers and herders should be educated about good agricultural practices so that their various agro-activities such as grazing, crop rotation, irrigation and so on are carried out safely. Appropriate corrections should be made in the pre-existing eco-policies. Antiquated practices like shifting cultivation and thoughtless exploitation of natural resources should be curbed.

Unless some serious steps are taken, we will continue to wrangle with the problem of land degradation.