Land Degradation

1
Land Degradation
2
Definition

• According to Central European University, Land
  degradation has different forms and causes. The
  most important, according to the EEA (1998), is
  soil contamination. Another problem is loss of
  soil caused by urbanization. Land erosion is also
  a serious problem caused by forest fires and land
  abandonment. Over-exploitation of water resources
  and urban development in coastal areas lead to
  another problem - salinization of soil.

3
Desertification

• What happens when intensification of food
  production, such as by continuous cropping and
  over grazing, leads to the spread of desert
  areas, reducing the quantity of arable land.

4
Desertification

• In 1882, about 10 of the earths land was
  classified as desert or wasteland by 1990s,
  this figure had expanded to almost 35
  (Sullivan, 452)

5
Deforestation

• The clearing of forests
• Most of the clearing is done for agricultural
  purposes-grazing cattle, planting crops. Poor
  farmers chop down a small area (typically a few
  acres) and burn the tree trunks-a process called
  Slash and Burn agriculture (Earth Observatory)

6
Deforestation

• Each year, deforestation claims seventeen
  million hectares of land, about the equivalent of
  the state of Washington in one year (Sullivan,
  453)