Desertification and land degradation are now persistent in all ecosystems resulting in water scarcity in different parts of the world. Desertification is a concept used to grasp more acute forms of the degradation of land-based ecosystems.
This has a negative impact on the availability, quantity and quality of water resources that leads to scarcity of water. Further, the direct physical effects of land degradation include the drying up of freshwater resources and increase in the frequency of drought. Desertification is also associated with biodiversity loss and contributes to global climate change.
The World Day to Combat Desertification is an occasion to remind everybody that desertification can be effectively tackled and solutions to it are possible. The day is being observed since 1995 to promote public awareness relating to international cooperation to combat desertification and the effects of drought. In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 17 as the World Day to Combat Desertification to promote public awareness of the issue and the implementation of the United Nations convention resolution to combat desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and desertification. Droughts have a critical impact on agricultural production and have added to the soaring food prices and shortages worldwide.
The theme for the 2013 World Day to Combat Desertification is ‘Drought and Water Scarcity’. This year's slogan “Don't let our future dry up” calls everyone to take action to promote preparedness for and resilience to water scarcity, desertification and drought. The slogan embodies the message that we are all responsible for water and land conservation and their sustainable use and that there are solutions to these serious natural resource challenges. land degradation does not have to threaten our future.
Water scarcity is both a natural and a human-made phenomenon. There is enough freshwater on the planet for seven billion people, but it is distributed unevenly and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed. Water scarcity already affects every continent. As per the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), around 1.2 billion people live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500 million more people are approaching this situation. Another 1.6 billion people, or almost one quarter of the world's population, face economic water shortage (where countries lack the necessary infrastructure to take water from rivers and aquifers).
In India, the per capita water availability is reducing drastically due to the increase in population. The average annual per capita availability of water in the country, taking into consideration the population of the country as per the 2001 census, was 1,816 cubic meters (cum) which got reduced to 1,545 cubic meters as per the 2011 census.
In 2001, the average per capita water availability in Odisha was around 3,359 cum per year as compared to the national average of 1,816 cum. With projected future population, the per capita water availability in the State will reduce to 2,218 cum in 2051. A per capita water availability less than 1,700 cum is termed water stress condition while if it falls below 1,000 cum, it is termed as water scarce condition.
The groundwater potential varies in different regions of the country. Due to heavy extraction of groundwater and its limited recharge, the groundwater is getting depleted at a fast rate. This depletion is particularly marked in most of the dry land regions of the States such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra. Also, there are many villages in the country either with scarce water supply or without any source of water. In many rural areas, women still have to walk a distance of about 2.5 km to reach the nearest source of water.
In Odisha, the agriculture sector contributes about 50 per cent of the State domestic product and provides employment to about 75 per cent of the total working force. In the maximum rain-fed districts like Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabaragpur and Rayagada, frequent occurrence of drought result in severe crop failure. The basic problems in these areas include water scarcity which results in low productivity. Many villages in Odisha are showing symptoms of desertification. Poor and unsustainable land management techniques also worsen the situation. Over-cultivation, overgrazing and deforestation put great strain on land and water resources.
Sustainable land management is an important measure for tackling desertification. It includes fostering balanced freshwater resource management for domestic use, including aquaculture, fishing and irrigation; restoring water-table recharge, protecting wetlands from negative impacts of agricultural and settlement encroachments, restoring soil productivity and reducing soil erosion through sustainable land management and adopting sustainable cropping techniques such as organic farming and agro forestry.
To combat drought and water scarcity, activities like percolation tanks, water reservoirs and construction of small, medium-size dams and rivers are useful which can retain more surface water, while increasing the groundwater recharge development of watersheds is an important programme to make best use of the rainwater for agricultural production while improving soil conservation and biodiversity.
Watershed management progammes are implemented in drought-prone areas to tackle special problems faced by those areas constantly affected by severe drought conditions. The main objective of the watershed approach is to minimise the adverse effects of drought on the production of crops, livestock and productivity of land, to promote overall economic development and improve the socioeconomic condition of the people.
An integrated land and water resource management policy would ultimately bring in environmental and socioeconomic benefits. Rural and urban populations both benefit from sustainable land management practices. These also serve in maintaining significant agricultural biodiversity and resilient agro ecosystems including forest resources.
Desertification is not just about adopting physical remedies, as social remedies are equally important. Both remedies need to be tackled in an integrated manner, rather than separately, if policies for addressing desertification are to be effective.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that the world indeed has become more drought-prone during the past 25 years, and that climate projections indicate an increased frequency of severe droughts in many parts of the world. It is imperative to prepare guidelines from national to village-level land use planning for sustainable land management practices. Village community groups should be trained for effective use of land use plans. This would prevent water scarcity and desertification in coming years. Effective prevention of desertification requires drought management strategies and policy approaches that promote sustainable resource use. These strategies must be science-based and directed at managing the risks and mitigate the effects of desertification and drought.
(Dr Mayarani Praharaj works at the Department of Architecture, College of Engineering & Technology, Bhubaneswar)