Land Degradation: Economic Problems and Effects

1
Land Degradation Economic Problems and Effects

• Key exam question Examine the causes and
  consequences of soil degradation.

2
Table of Contents

• Introduction
• World Land Degradation Facts
• Positive and Negative Possible Outcomes
• Causes of Land Degradation
• Statistics on U.S. Land Degradation
• More Statistics on U.S. Land Degradation
• Loss of Farmland
• Loss of Rural Land Due to Development
• Average Number of Acres Developed Each Year
• Costs of Land Degradation

3
Table of Contents contd

• Costs of Land Degradation contd
• Costs contd
• Effects of Population on Land Loss
• Possible Solutions
• Ways to Address Land Degradation
• International Efforts to Help Reduce Land
  Degradation
• Counter for Amount of Arable Farmland Lost
• Conclusion
• References

4
Introduction

• Land degradation is being caused by a wide
  variety of factors. The economic and
  environmental impact of the loss of arable
  farmland is beginning to be felt by many
  countries. If the loss of farmland continues at
  current rates, some countries will become
  completely dependent on others for their food
  supply. An over abundant amount of urbanization
  and improper land management are key points that
  need to be addressed in order to start attacking
  the loss of valuable fertile land.

5
Review World Land Degradation Facts

• Last 50 years has shown that worlds vegetated
  land has decreased productivity by nearly half
• Mainly caused by human activity
• Destructive agricultural practices
• Deforestation
• Planet has lost 10 of total productive value
• Capacity to provide crops and pasture
• Forestry
• Medicinal products
• Other industrial products

6
Positive and Negative Possible Outcomes

• If strong efforts are made to stop land
  degradation
• The lost 10 could be reduced to 5
• Result would be healthier and more productive
  farmland
• If the problem is ignored
• Earths lost productive value could get up to 20
• With some degradation affecting up to 90 of the
  planets useful land

7
Causes of Land Degradation

• Loss of topsoil due to
• Overgrazing
• Deforestation
• Destructive agricultural activities
• Exploitation of wood for fuel
• All lead to soil erosion
• Once topsoil is washed away, it takes thousands
  of years to regenerate.

8
Case study Statistics on U.S. Land Degradation

• At the present growth rate, the U.S. population
  will double to more than half a billion people
  within the next 60 years.
• Approximately one acre of land is lost due to
  urbanization and highway construction for every
  person added to the U.S. population.
• 0.6 acres of farmland would be available to grow
  food for each American in 2050 compared to the
  1.8 acres per capita available today
• At least 1.2 acres per person is required in
  order to maintain current American dietary
  standards

9
More Statistics on U.S. Land Degradation

• Food prices are projected to increase 3 to 5-fold
  within this period
• By 2025, the U.S. will most likely cease to be a
  food exporter because food grown in the U.S. will
  be needed for domestic purposes.
• Since food exports earn 40 billion for the U.S.
  annually, the loss of this income source would
  result in an even greater increase in America's
  trade deficit.
• America is the world's largest food exporter, so
  the future survival of millions of people around
  the world may also come into question if food
  exports from the U.S. were to cease.

10
Task

• Sort these statistics into economical and social
  impacts.
• Can you think of any political consequences of
  U.S land degradation?
• Look at your map of USA and shade the countries
  that you see mentioned.
• Annotate your map with comments about what the
  shaded areas represent.

11
USA
12
Loss of Farmland

• Between 1982 and 1997 about 39,000 sq. miles of
  rural land converted to
• Subdivisions
• Shopping malls
• Workplaces
• Roads
• Parking lots
• Resorts
• This loss of rural land area is about equal to
  the area of Maine and New Hampshire combined

http//www.numbersusa.com/interests/farmland.html
11/23/03
13
Loss of Rural Land Due to Development

• 1990s2.2 million acres of rural land was lost
  per year
• By 2050, an additional 110 million acres will be
  lost
• Would be equivalent of losing Connecticut,
  Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Delaware,
  Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.
  

14
Average Number of Acres Developed Each Year

• (10 years) (5 years)
• Area 1982-92 1992-97
• Pennsylvania 43,110 224,640
• California 80,020 138,960
• Ohio 46,860 104,240
• Florida 116,310 189,060
• Colorado 30,740 24,060
• U.S.A. 1,388,410 3,193,200
• By urbanizing some of its best farmland, the U.S.
  is limiting future options to deal with social,
  economic, food security and environmental problems

15
Costs of Land Degradation

• Degradation increases the cost of production the
  goods we all use and enjoy
• It will eventually raise the cost of goods on
  supermarket shelves and other stores
• Degradation adds to our
• Building costs
• Energy costs
• Transport costs

16
Costs of Land Degradation contd

• Must include the cost for the reclamation of
  degraded land,
• the reversal of degradation.
• Cost of reversing degradation depends on the
  severity of degradation.
• The sooner degradation processes are recognized
  and reversed, the more efficient and
  cost-effective is the rehabilitation.
• As land degradation and rehabilitation are very
  location-specific, there is no universally valid
  estimate of cost per unit area of land degraded
  or reclaimed

17
Costs contd

• Another important cost factor is the off-site
  effect costs
• These include (externalities)
• the siltation of dams and watercourses that
  reduce the economic life of irrigation systems
  and power stations,
• and dust emissions that affect public
  transportation (e.g. roads and railways) and are
  health hazards
• In the US, it has been estimated that the
  off-site costs of degradation may be 45-times
  greater than the direct cost of the loss of the
  lands productivity

18
Effects of Population on Land Loss

• Population growth means need for increased
  urbanization
• Population growth also means need for increased
  food supply
• How does this affect loss of arable farmland?
• Need more land to produce food
• Also need more places for people to live

19
Possible Solutions

• Need to decrease constant increase in population
• Decrease number of births
• Decrease number of immigrants
• Will mean less land needed for urban development
• Will leave enough arable farmland to supply
  adequate food for population
• Need to increase productivity of arable land
  remaining
• Find new technology to improve land quality
• Use new methods so land does not become overused
  and allowed to degrade or erode away

20
Ways to Address Land Degradation

• National level
• direct intervention in the affected areas
• the development of non-agricultural employment
  opportunities
• population planning to make population densities
  compatible with the population-carrying
  capacities of the region

21
International Efforts to Help Reduce Land
Degradation

• International level
• mobilization of intellectual, institutional, and
  financial resources
• greater efforts to implement provisions of
  international conventions
• support to successful interventions at local
  levels that can be replicated across wider
  locations
• The disparities that exist among countries in
  terms of their natural resources, economic
  status, and educational level should be reflected
  in policies and action plans to be implemented

22
Counter for Amount of Arable Farmland Lost

• 36,543,965 Acres Lost Since 1970
• Site has a counter of acres of farmland lost
  since 1970
• Equals 2 acres lost per minute
• http//www.numbersusa.com/interests/farmland.html
  10/27/04

23
Conclusion

• Given current depletion rates of land, water, and
  energy resources, U.S. agricultural productivity
  is already unsustainable. Should the U.S.
  population double within the next 60 years, the
  subsequent decrease in arable land will
  substantially change American eating habits and
  dramatically reduce future food exports. If
  Americans want continued access to abundant and
  affordable food with the ability to continue
  exporting food, we must work together to stop
  U.S. population growth and conserve our country's
  limited land, water, and energy resources in
  order to achieve a sustainable American future.

24
Task

• Answer the Key Exam Question using the
  information from the case study to help you.
  Draw on information from previous lessons also.

25
Summarize your case study
26
References

• http//www.numbersusa.com/interests/farmland.html
  11/23/03
• http//dieoff.org/page40.htm 11/23/03
• http//216.239.39.104/search?qcacheZIjfaqwCB2AJ
  www.planetwire.org/files.fcgi/291_Agricult.pdflan
  ddegradationU.S.farmlandhlenieUTF-8
  11/23/03
• http//www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/1995/0913/
  land.html 11/23/03
• http//www.landcarensw.org/What20is20Landcare.ht
  m 11/23/03
• http//216.239.39.104/search?qcacheV_JKB6y2Z-cJ
  www.unu.edu/millennium/el-beltagy.pdfU.S.landde
  gradationsolutionshlenieUTF-8 11/23/03
• http//www.defenders.org/pubs/nsi06.html 11/23/03