To fill this knowledge gap, soil degradation simply means the decline in soil quality which comes about due to aspects such as improper land use, agriculture, and pasture, urban or industrial purposes. Land degradation is a global challenge that affects everybody through food insecurity and higher food prices, through climate change and environmental hazards, and through the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. 5. [technical] There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones. A general definition of land degradation is presented by Wasson (1987) as: "Land degradation is a change to land that makes it less useful for human beings". This is particularly the case for populations living in rural areas where most of the poor people reside: estimates report that 80% of the extreme poor live in rural areas and 65% work in the agricultural sector. Degradation is an important word in terms of environmentalism because it can be used to describe so many detrimental environmental conditions. Significant land degradation from seawater inundation, particularly in river deltas and on low-lying islands, is a potential hazard that was identified in a 2007 IPCC report. The most important, according to the EEA (1998), is soil contamination. Content Filtrations 6. Land degradation is the major consequences of direct interference of human activities in the natural phenomenon. Find more ways to say degradation, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. "[11] Additionally, it is claimed that 74% of the poor are directly affected by land degradation globally.[6]. When these normally waterlogged soils are exposed to air by drainage or drought, the iron sulphides oxidise produc- ... Related to degradation: Land degradation. In the context of developing policies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), degraded land refers to areas with low carbon stocks. This can be measured from a base line of past land use. Degradation of soil as a result of Erosion 2. The resilience of a landscape can be increased or decreased through human interaction based upon different methods of land-use management. Changes in climatic conditions because of unbalanced created in the environment. Overgrazing refers to excessive eating of grasses and other green plants by cattle. The act or process of degrading. Natural hazards are excluded as a cause; however human activities can indirectly affect phenomena such as floods and bush fires. However, there is no single internationally-approved definition of “degraded land”. Land degradation can go fast, as can be the case of deforestation or forest fires, but often land degradation is a very slow process. Other dryland regions have also experienced desertification. Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. It is also caused by human activities that pollute or degrade the quality of soils and land utility. A decline to a lower condition, quality, or level. Crummey, J.S. Copyright 10. CAUSES OF LAND DEGRADATION 1. Enrich your vocabulary with the English Definition dictionary The degradation of land or of the environment is the process of its becoming damaged and poorer, for example because of the effects of pollution, industry, and modern agricultural methods . The act or process of degrading. Deserts, semi-arid lands, and dry woodlands also constitute a large potential source of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. All are induced or aggravated by human activities, e.g. Other kinds of land degradation are as water-logging, chemical contamination, acidification, salinity and alkalinity etc. Environmental degradation is the deterioration (causing degenerative harm) of the environment through exhaustion of natural assets such as water, soil, and air including the ecosystem, habitat intrusion, wildlife extermination, and environmental pollution. Following are some practises for controlling land degradation: It is & practice in which cultivated crops are sown in alternative strips to prevent water movement. 2. Severe land degradation affects a significant portion of the Earth's arable lands, decreasing the wealth and economic development of nations. Many people do conceive the idea of soil degradation but a good number lacks the knowledge of its precise definition. It negatively affects food production, livelihoods, and the production and provision of other ecosystem goods and services. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and Action in the land's capacity to provide resources for human livelihoods. Ambrose, T.J. Bassett, M.L. [3] It is estimated that up to 40% of the world's agricultural land is seriously degraded. When these normally waterlogged soils are exposed to air by drainage or drought, the iron sulphides oxidise produc- Desertification & Land Degradation. Land erosion is also a serious problem caused by forest fires and land Degradation definition is - the act or process of degrading. Land degradation results from the combined effects of processes such as loss of biological diversity and vegetative cover, soil loss nutrient imbalance, decline in soil organic matter and decrease of infiltration and water retention capacity. It is one of the agricultural practice in which different crops are grown in same area following a rotation system which helps in replenishment of the soil. Report a Violation, Land Degradation: Mechanisms and Causes of Land Degradation, Land Degradation: 9 Main Causes of Land Degradation, Mineral Resources: Useful Notes on the Types and Uses of Mineral Resources. Land degradation is an important factor of internal displacement in many African and Asian countries.[10]. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Shifting ecological risk: increased vulnerability of the environment or people to destruction or crisis. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by one or more combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land. Populations can be a benefit to the land and make it more productive than it is in its natural state. Surface Runoff Surface runoff is a natural type of land erosion that occurs when excess water from storms and melting snow carries soil away. Increasing growth of population and demand for more residential areas and commercial sectors is also one of the reasons for land degradation. Land Degradation: Meaning, Definitions, Causes and impacts. This Atlas presents state-wise desertification and land degradation status maps depicting land use, process of degradation … Privacy Policy 8. [4], According to the Special Report on Climate Change and Land of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: "About a quarter of the Earth's ice-free land area is subject to human-induced degradation (medium confidence). Yet slow but continued degradation can lead to virtually in reversible losses of resources from the ecosystem and the land will degrade beyond self-repair or what we call destroyed or collapsed system. Some information for local and regional scales is available and has been reviewed by Lal (1998). soil erosion, soil contamination, soil acidification, sheet erosion, silting, aridification, salinization, urbanization, etc. In land degradation, land that was once rich in nutrients and able to support diverse organisms becomes compromised. Examples of land degradation in a sentence, how to use it. Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India. Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) has been defined by the Parties to the Convention as: A state whereby the amount and quality of land resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security, remains stable or increases within … Land degradation can also refer to the deterioration or destruction of vegetation and water resources. It is a serious environmental problem. Avoiding land degradation through sustainable land management can generate up to USD 1.4 trillion of economic benefits. Land Degradation is a global concern for sustainable development, conservation of biodiversity and mitigating and adapting to climate change. Land degradation is damage to land that makes it less economically useful and less biologically diverse. In proper terminological definition, forest degradation is the decline of the capacity of a forest to produce healthy ecosystem products and services such as the provision of timber and other resources, support to biodiversity, carbon storage and so on as a result of environmental and anthropogenic changes. (in the sense deposition from an office or rank as a punishment): from Old French, or from ecclesiastical Latin degradatio(n-) , from the verb degradare , from de- ‘down, away from’ + Latin gradus ‘step or grade’. 2. What is land degradation? This is considered to be an important topic of the 21st century due to the implications land degradation has upon agricultural productivity, the environment, and its effects on food security. Degraded land is land that has lost some degree of its natural productivity due to human-caused processes. [7] Sensitivity is the degree to which a land system undergoes change due to natural forces, human intervention or a combination of both. The state of being degraded; degeneration. Land definition is - the solid part of the surface of the earth; also : a corresponding part of a celestial body (such as the moon). Title: Land Degradation 1 Land Degradation 2 Definition. 4. Definition Of Environmental Degradation. 3. It results into reduced growth of vegetation, reduced diversity of plant species, excessive growth of unwanted plant species, soil erosion, and degradation of land due to cattle movement. Development of industries for the economic growth of the country leads to excessive deforestation and utilization of land in such as way that it has lost its natural up gradation quality. Land degradation is a global problem largely related to agricultural use, deforestation and climate change. n. 1. This is frequent in semi-arid environments, where fuelwood shortages are often severe. High population density is not always related to land degradation. 5. 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. Overall, more than 36 types of land degradation can be assessed. Policies and programmes to halt and reverse land degradation have long suffered from the absence of a clear overarching goal and quantitative, time-bound targets to guide action and make measurable progress. Land shortage and poverty, taken together, lead to non-sustainable land management practices, meaning the direct causes of degradation. Land degradation may occur due to intensive agricultural practices. land degradation definition in the English Cobuild dictionary for learners, land degradation meaning explained, see also 'land up',land mass',land mine',common land', English vocabulary Terminski, Bogumil, Towards Recognition and Protection of Forced Environmental Migrants in the Public International Law: Refugee or IDPs Umbrella (December 1, 2011). In turn, unsustainable land use is driving land degradation. Definition: Land degradation is the reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of rain—fed cropland, irrigated cropland, or range, pasture, forest or woodlands resulting from natural processes, land uses or other human activities and habitation patterns such as land contamination, soil erosion and the destruction of the vegetation cover. Land pollution can mean the misuse of land by human beings. Land degradation is the temporary or permanent lowering of the productive capacity of land (UNEP, 1992b). Define degradation. Land degradation threatens the livelihoods of billions of people around the world . The report state that: "Climate change exacerbates land degradation, particularly in lowlying coastal areas, river deltas, drylands and in permafrost areas (high confidence). What is Soil Degradation? Search land degradation and thousands of other words in English definition and synonym dictionary from Reverso. This usually checks or reduces the velocity of run off so that soil support vegetation. defined by the UNCCD as the persistent degradation of dryland ecosystems by human activities, including unsustainable farming, mining, overgrazing and clear-cutting of land, and by climate change. In 2015, about 500 (380–620) million people lived within areas which experienced desertification between the year 1980s and 2000s. As a result of sea-level rise from climate change, salinity levels can reach levels where agriculture becomes impossible in very low-lying areas. Policy Studies Organization (PSO) Summit, December 2011, Special Report on Climate Change and Land, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "Global food crisis looms as climate change and population growth strip fertile land", A land degradation assessment and mapping method. Land degradation means loss in the capacity of a given land to support the growth of useful plants on a sustained basis. Population pressure also operates through other mechanisms. Degradation of the natural environment is a worldwide problem, and some examples are quite ancient. However, there is no single internationally-approved definition of “degraded land”. 1. Degraded land is land that has lost some degree of its natural productivity due to human-caused processes. Bowen, D.E. Environmental degradation can alters some of the natural process such as the water cycle and the normal processes of animal and plant activities. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by one or more combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land. Exposure of naked soil after harvesting by heavy equipment, This page was last edited on 4 January 2021, at 13:41. Learn more. 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. In Canada, for example, on-farm effects of land degradation were estimated to range from US$700 to US$915 million in 1984 (Girt, 1986). "Land degradation" refers to a temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity ofthe land,2 or its potential for environmental management.3 "Land improvement" [2] Natural hazards are excluded as a cause; however human activities can indirectly affect phenomena such as floods and bush fires. Another word for degradation. Deforestation is taking place at a faster rate due to increasing demands of timber, fuel and forest products which results into degradation of land resources. Degradation also means the process of spoiling or destroying something. Policies and programmes to halt and reverse land degradation have long suffered from the absence of a clear overarching goal and quantitative, time-bound targets to guide action and make measurable progress. Data on land degradation of global scale are scarce, but recent estimates suggest that 5-6. A form of land degradation associated with the coast is acid sulfate soils. It affects the land’s topsoil, the vegetation that grows on it, and the nearby water sources. Isaacson, D.N. A decline to a lower condition, quality, or level. Loss of natural fertility of soil because of loss of nutrients. 2 Land degradation affects people and ecosystems throughout the planet and is both affected by 3 climate change and contributes to it. Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO has released out an inventory and monitoring of desertification of the entire country in 2016. It is a serious environmental problem. 1 Definition of land degradation Land degradation can be defined in several ways depending upon the subject that needs to be emphasized. 3. Content Guidelines 2. Land degradation is any reduction or loss in the biological or economic productive capacity of the land resource base. [5], The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15 has a target to restore degraded land and soil and achieve a land degradation-neutral world by 2030.[6]. In this report, land degradation is defined as a negative trend 4 in land condition, caused by direct or indirect human-induced processes including anthropogenic Image Courtesy : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Karst_following_phosphate_mining_on_Nauru.jpg. Soil that is contaminated becomes less productive and this reduces the value of land. degradation definition: 1. the process in which the beauty or quality of something is destroyed or spoiled: 2. the…. 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. Journal of Environmental Quality 26: 581–589. Geology A general lowering of the earth's surface by erosion or weathering. tion (dĕg′rə-dā′shən) n. 1. For example, planting crops at a location with heavy rainfall and steep slopes would create scientific and environmental concern regarding the risk of soil erosion by water, yet farmers could view the location as a favourable one for high crop yields. Some types of degradation include salinification and acidification of soils, topsoil loss, soil compaction , and pollution of land that makes it unusable. Often, the process of degradation is inextricably linked to loss of biodiversity and the impacts of climate change. Disclaimer 9. Land degradation is caused by multiple forces, including extreme weather conditions, particularly drought. Another word for degradation. 40 guest articles. It thus covers the various forms of soil degradation, adverse human impacts on water resources, deforestation, and lowering of the productive capacity of rangelands. Soil degradation is, in itself, an indicator of land degradation. Rather, it is the practices of the human population that can cause a landscape to become degraded. Find more ways to say degradation, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. land degradation definition in English dictionary, land degradation meaning, synonyms, see also 'Land',Land',Adélie Land',Arnhem Land'. Although there is a link between land degradation and conflict, we should be careful not to blame the victims. Soil degradation refers to negative changes in the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil, whereas vegetation degradation is the reduction in the number of species and the vegetational composition. The decline in the overall quality of soil, water or vegetation condition commonly caused by human activities.. Land degradation Meaning… Read this article to learn about the meaning, factors responsible, prevention and control measures of land degradation: The change in the characteristic and quality of soil which adversely affect its fertility is called as Degradation. The term land degradation involves both soil and vegetation degradation. also environmental degradation is the gradual destruction or reduction of the quality and quantity of human activities animals activities or natural means example water causes soil erosion, wind, etc. Land degradation can therefore be defined as the misuse of land or the deterioration in the quality of the land through excessive exploitation of the land. Soil erosion is one of the factors responsible for lad degradation. There are four main ways of looking at land degradation and its impact on the environment around it: A problem with defining land degradation is that what one group of people might view as degradation, others might view as a benefit or opportunity. Naturally occurring, iron-sulphides underlie large areas of Australia’s low-lying coastal areas. Before publishing your articles on this site, please read the following pages: 1. Soil erosion from agricultural fields is estimated to be currently 10 to 20 times (no tillage) to more than 100 times (conventional tillage) higher than the soil formation rate (medium confidence).". Also, environmental degradation aspects such as deforestation and mining destroy the natural land cover. 0 generation 2030. Causes include: Overcutting of vegetation occurs when people cut forests, woodlands and shrublands—to obtain timber, fuelwood and other products—at a pace exceeding the rate of natural regrowth. Pollution of water resources from the contamination of soil through which water sweeps into ground or runoff to the water bodies. Land degradation is a big loss to the economy as the land loses its production potential and gets converted into wastelands. Land Pollution can simply be defined as the contamination or degradation of earth surface. How to use land in a sentence. Johnson, P. Lamb, M. Saul, and A.E. Johnson, D.L., S.H. Continuous tillage of the soil definitely lead to land degradation and leaching which in turn leads to loss of soil nutrients. Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. Environmental degradation is the deterioration (causing degenerative harm) of the environment through exhaustion of natural assets such as water, soil, and air including the ecosystem, habitat intrusion, wildlife extermination, and environmental pollution. Land Degradation Land degradation is defined as the temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity of the land, and the diminution of the productive potential, including its major land uses (e.g., rain-fed arable, irrigation, forests), its farming systems (e.g., smallholder subsistence), and its value as an economic resource. • Poor land management practices include grazing of stock that has hard hooves, growing of crops that require large amounts of fertilisers and pesticides especially superphosphate and nitrogen, and irrigation for crops on sandy soils. It is a global issue with millions of people being affected, even forcing them […] According to the Special Report on Climate Change and Land of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change climate change in one of the causes of land degradation. Sensitivity and resilience are measures of the vulnerability of a landscape to degradation. Naturally occurring, iron-sulphides underlie large areas of Australia’s low-lying coastal areas. Desertification and land degradation can contribute to local warming by reducing plant cover and increasing soil exposure, which changes the energy balance of an area. Land degradation is a global challenge that affects everybody through food insecurity and higher food prices, through climate change and environmental hazards, and through the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Loss of natural fertility of soil because of loss of nutrients. A standard guideline proposal, "Human Induced Land Degradation is Preventable", USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Economics of Land Degradation Initiative – Homepage, Safety of high-energy particle collision experiments, Existential risk from artificial intelligence, Self-Indication Assumption Doomsday argument rebuttal, Self-referencing doomsday argument rebuttal, List of dates predicted for apocalyptic events, List of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Land_degradation&oldid=998245540, Human activities with impact on the environment, Articles with dead external links from February 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Together, lead to even further degradation through shocks to the land -Land clearing -Poor land.! Deforestation and climate change of spoiling land degradation meaning destroying something that pollute or degrade the quality of degradation. 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