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Soil Erosion: World's Most Serious Environmental Problems

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1. Introduction

Soil erosion is recognized as one of the world’s most serious environmental problems that may lead to several health problems (Pimentel, 2006). It directly reduces land productivity by reducing water availability, soil depth, soil organic content, and essential plant nutrients. It has many off-site effects.

Off-site effects result from sedimentation downstream or downwind which reduces the capacity of rivers and drainage ditches, increases the risk of flooding, blocks irrigation canals and shortens the design life of reservoirs. Eroded sediment is also a pollutant, the chemicals absorbed by it can increase the levels of N and P in water bodies and result in eutrophication.

Importantly, the world’s croplands are more vulnerable to soil erosion than natural …show more content…

Soil erosion vulnerabilities in upcountry

2.1 Slow ground water Recharge

Today the water holding capacity of the upcountry has been reduced. The main reason for this is the increased runoff due to human activities such as deforestation, the cultivation of crops on steep slopes and the unconcern of reservation areas of streams.

2.2 Cultivation of Lands with high slope

Lands with high slope (>60%) are generally considered for agricultural purposes.

2.3 Encroachments on Agriculturally unsuitable lands

Farmers encroachment on non-arable lands to cultivate crops. But due to lack of nutrients in this soil, soil texture and structure get more and more poorer and more vulnerable to erosion.

2.4 Irregular cultivation of crops

Maintain a continuous vegetative cover on the land is good method to control soil erosion. Soil deterioration and low quality of water due to erosion has become a critical problem in upcountry. This problem becomes so critical that the land can no longer be cultivated and is abandoned.

2.5 Irregular land use practices

Farmers who don’t use proper land use practice such as terraces, drains, crop rotating methods cause to soil erosion in farming

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