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Lead Papers Dr. Grigori Abramia,David Barker,Thorkil Casse and Fabiana Issler, Valentin Ciubotaru, Louise Dunne and Frank Convery, Ken Dunsworth,Ramaz Gokhelashvili,Shahidul Haque,Alexander Heydendael, Larisa Khomik, Alexander Khomik and Valentine Cherednichenko, KYRYL TOMLYAK,MD. Hasibur Rahman and ,Hasida Yasmin,Alexander Wegosky Louise Dunne and Frank Convery have obtained results that show an increasing recognition of unsustainable pressures on the earth's carrying capacity, including intensive exploitation and depletion of natural resources and the growth in consumption and production. Society's ecological footprint, an indicator developed to illustrate human impact on a finite planet, underlines the dilemma now facing Ireland as part of the global community. A footprint represents the corresponding area of productive land and aquatic ecosystems required to produce the resources used and to assimilate the wastes produced by a defined population at a specified material living standard.
Two indicators of land degradation are the areas of land affected by soil erosion (due to wind and water) and salinity. They both have negative impacts on agriculture and the quality of water in lakes and rivers. Improper land uses practices can affect them both. Another indicator is the total land area of contaminated sites. These sites should be rehabilitated as contaminated sites present ongoing environmental problems and negative health impacts.
Comments and Recommendations from Participants
Message from Susan Augustino Preventing Desertification in a drought affected area By Dr. C. Ramachandraiah, Prof. Jamidu .H.Y. Katima, Susan Augustino, Batholomew Lyimo and E. Kilawe suzan@newafrica.or.tz rchandra@hd2.vsnl.net.in Background Desertification puts at risk the livelihoods of around 1 billion people in the drylands of over 100 countries where about 80% of productive land in arid and semi-arid areas suffer from moderate to severe desertification. * Desertification undermines food production then affects socio-economic of local population then triggers poverty, also lead to ecological degradation, migration and conflicts. * The major causes, which lead to desertification of lands, are poor land use practices, overgrazing and population pressure. Indian Case study: Study was done in one of the driest district in the country, characterized by periodic droughts and prolonged famine conditions. Author conducted survey to some villages in the area to identify causative of extended desertification. He ascertain that environmental problems to the area are due to many factors among them being poor farming systems (where people are ploughing in sand soils which facilitate sand migration and lead to sand dunes, poor soil (low fertility). On the socio-economic survey he conducted revealed that; * main source of income was agriculture, * poverty and low level of literacy contribute to environmental degradation, * Poor are the ones who bear adverse consequences of environmental degradation in fragile ecosystems. * There are local strategy(helpless approach) where farmers are waiting sand to migrate to his/her neighbor so that he/she start farming his/her land Strategy Author then came up with project to deal with problem (desertification) in selected villages in the studied district: Project objectives were; 1.reducing surface wind speeds so that is not carried in agric. Lands thus preventing spread of sand affected area 2.rehabilitating moderately or severely desertified lands for productive utilisation 3.promote measures to prevent soil erosion and enable soils to retain more moisture, regenerate more greenery and contribute to increased biomass productivity 4.restore ecological balance, contribute to promotion of sustainable development strategies with full participation of local people/stakeholders. Methodology Project promoted planting of drought resistance varieties such as ber(regu), mangoes, tamarindus and other fruits tree which takes 3-4 years to start yielding the crop, this has positive response from villagers who reveal to be financially beneficial in the long run in lieu of cultivation on the sand-filled lands. Efforts to improve environmental conditions will certainly contribute to helping poor in improving their livelihood. Expected output from the Project: * Planting drought resistance plants will supplement the earnings of local population * Also will increase their nutritional level * Also will improve overall standards of life * And reducing poverty. Our comments: Project has a very good strategy to combat desertification. But the author has to show clearly and in details how he is going to implement those objectives apart from saying people will be encouraged to plant drought resistance species. In early 70 and 80’s many projects in developing countries have came up with a very nice objectives and goals but have failed to implement or disseminate their findings to the entire area due to some unforeseeable factors. And as a result lead to unimplemented and expensive techniques which lately opposed by local population which can be same to this kind of the project too if strategy are not in place. Should the author give us some explanation on how he will meet objectives 2 and 4. Also it is said majority of the villages studied their population are illiterate and farming on poor land and they are depending on agricultural for their daily subsistence, I wonder how these people will shift to new technology without extension services to address the problems. |
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