5. Sustainable development of wastelands

Transcript

Hi friends. In the previous lecture we studied about the ‘Alternate Land Use Management’. And we have studied, what are the concepts relating to alternate land use systems, and also different models of alternate land use management. And we have also studied what are the principles involved in dryland horticulture. And also connected to this we studied about the Grassland Management. In case of drylands there are some factors due to which the land will be degraded. As you are all aware, soil erosion is the single most factor, which is eroding the land and making the land to the degraded category. So this is causing very loss of productivity in the lands.

Today in this lecture we will be studying the sustainable development of wastelands. When the drylands are not properly managed, they will lead to wastelands. So after the wastelands, how they can be sustained; how they can be developed into cultivable lands. So this is the focus of this present lecture. Coming to the sustainable development of wastelands. What are the wastelands? Now in a simple way wastelands can be said, wastelands of the lands. They are not put to for productive purposes. In the simplest way, wastelands are those, they are not put for the productive purposes. Why they are not put for the productive purpose? Because they have some inherent problems which does not support the crop production activities. So they have called as wastelands. They are not usable. They are not used for the productive purposes.

It is in the simplest way. Let us say barren land or uncultivated land. An ugly often devastated, barely inhabitable place or area. This is very important, along with the fact that the wastelands are not put for the productive purposes, these observations also counts a lot. They have barren land. They have uncultivable land. And most importantly there is no habitation. They say it is a inhabited place. So wastelands are those, they are not put for the productive purposes. They have barren land. They have stony land. There are uncultivated lands. And these lands are devoid of habitation. There are 4 types of wastelands.

• One is sand dunes
• Soils of high pH
• Shallow gravelly
• Then fertile soils with moisture stress

These are the type of wastelands. Even the lands with sand dunes are also considered as wastelands. Even the lands which have more of gravelly nature, they are also considered as wastelands. The soils of having a high pH, which doesn’t allow the production of crops, it’s also called as wasteland. And mostly the fertile soils with moisture stress. The soils are fertile, but there is a heavy moisture stress. They are also called as wastelands. So in a way the wastelands are being classified as per their requirements, as per their quality.

Then coming to what are the effects of wastelands. What are the consequences of wastelands? The first and foremost will be destruction of bio-diversity. As you all are aware, bio-diversity is very important for the cultivation of the crops, for the development of the varieties, for maintaining ecological balance. These wastelands because of the absence of the plant species. Because there is no cultivation of the crops, there is no bio-diversity; and there will be a destruction of bio-diversity. This is one of the consequences of wastelands. Secondly there is a decrease in employment. When the land is not put for the productive purposes. When the land is not put for the cultivation purposes. There is no employment opportunities. So it results in decrease in employment. Then coming to the reduction in agricultural production. Because of the inherent problem, these wastelands are not put for the cultivation. So when they are not put for cultivation, then there will be a reduction in the agricultural production. So this is one of the consequences of wastelands. Then the 4th one is, environmental and ecological imbalance. These being having a mining areas. Then the degraded lands. When there is a degraded lands, when there are stony lands, when there are gravelly lands, when there is no production, when there is no cultivation of crops; then it also results in ecological imbalance. So these are the four consequences of the wastelands.

• One is destruction of bio-diversity
• Then the decrease in employment
• There is no agricultural production
• And also there is ecological imbalance is there

Next coming to the what are the causes for the wasteland formation. What makes them to wasteland? What makes them to consider as wasteland?

• The first and foremost is deforestation and overgrazing. We are cutting the forest indiscriminately. So forests are being cleared indiscriminately. And also overgrazing. Both these factors are making the land barren. So when there is a barren land, there will be topsoil eroded. The topsoil will be eroded and there will not be any species. So deforestation and overgrazing are the principle causes for the formation of wastelands.
• Then the 2nd one is soil erosion and moisture scarcity. When there is a deforestation, then automatically, soil erosion sets in, and it also causes the useful lands to become degrade and to become wasteland.
• Then the high or low pH, due to soil composition, excessive irrigation and poor drainage. As you know; even the high pH or in the low pH doesn’t support the plant growth. This high or low pH may be the characteristics of certain soils, or excessive irrigation, or due to drainage. So by all this, the presence of high pH or low pH also leads to wastelands
• Then the severe biotic pressure and poor management. Biotic pressure apart from the abiotic pressure. Even the biotic pressure is also causing the formation of the wastelands.

Then what is the way out. Can we keep quiet? No, we have to combat these wasteland formation. We have to formulate these strategies, which can bring back wastelands into a cultivable lands. So what are the strategies.

• Soil and moisture conservation practices. The first and foremost is soil and moisture conservation practices. Soil has to be conserved. Moisture has to be conserved. Both has to be conserved with the appropriate adoption of soil and moisture conservation techniques.
• Then the 2nd one is promoting vegetative cover. This is indirectly indicating afforestation. Due to the afforestation and due to the very effective implementation of the afforestation programs, we can bring vegetative cover on these wastelands. When there is a vegetative cover on these wastelands; automatically these wastelands can be cultivated, can be bring back into a cultivable condition.
• Then the 3rd one is protection from the biotic pressure and fire. There is biotic pressure and the fire can be controlled with a suitable technique. Then these wastelands can be converted into a cultivable lands.
• Then enhancing the soil fertility.
• Plant protection and the optimal plant density.
• And timely harvest of the produce.

So with the enhancing of soil fertility and also timely harvest and also plant protection measures, we can bring back or we can combat the wasteland formation.

Then coming to the effective management of afforestation in wastelands. We have told we can combat the wastelands with suitable afforestation techniques. Then comes, what are the afforestation techniques. Soil and moisture conservation,

• Mainly the contour bunding
• Staggered trenches
• Formation of farm ponds
• Gully plugging
• And continuous ridges and furrows along the contours.

By this soil and moisture conservation practices can be adopted along with the afforestation program. And also tree planting. It is a criteria for selecting the trees. In the afforestation program we have to select the trees, with a species which is having a specific characteristics. That species selecting should have,

• Soil and climatic adaptability
• Then they should have a higher growth rate
• Then biotic interference
• It should have a multiple uses
• And it should have a value and demand for the produce

While implementing the afforestation program, with an intention of combating wastelands. So these are the characters which have to be kept in mind. That is the species should have a soil and climatic adaptability. It should have a higher growth rate, and it should have a multiple uses, and the produce should have a demand. So by these we can easily combat the formation of wastelands.

So I will be concluding with this topic. Increase in the area of wastelands is not due to erratic rainfall alone. No the erratic rainfall alone will not causing, will not leading to formation of wastelands. But also due to economical factors and technological factors, which influence the land utilization or under-utilization. Erratic rainfall is not alone contributing to formation of wastelands but some of the economical factors, some of the technological factors which influence the land utilization or under-utilization are also causing for the wasteland formation. With this I am concluding this topic.

Thank You.