Mains Focus – 11th April 2025

Question

Q. The process of desertification does not have climatic boundaries. Justify with examples.  [10 Marks, GS Paper 1, 2020]

Answer

Desertification refers to land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities. Though traditionally associated with deserts and dry climates, desertification transcends climatic boundaries due to anthropogenic interventions and unsustainable land use.

Desertification Beyond Climatic Zones

1. Human-Induced Factors in Non-Arid Areas
   Desertification is often accelerated by human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, unscientific irrigation practices, and urban sprawl. These activities disturb the ecological balance even in regions with moderate rainfall, leading to soil erosion and degradation.

2. Deforestation in Tropical and Sub-Humid Regions
   For instance, the Shivalik Hills in Uttarakhand and parts of the Western Ghats have experienced degradation due to indiscriminate deforestation and shifting cultivation, despite not being arid zones.

3. Over-Irrigation and Salinization in Punjab and Haryana
   The canal-irrigated regions of Punjab and Haryana have witnessed secondary salinization and waterlogging due to over-irrigation. These are fertile areas, yet poor water management practices are making the land infertile—akin to desertification.

4. Urbanization and Land Sealing
   Rapid urbanization leads to soil sealing, loss of green cover, and disruption of hydrological cycles. The peri-urban areas around Delhi and Bengaluru are showing signs of land degradation due to haphazard expansion.
   

Conclusion

Desertification is a complex and widespread phenomenon that cannot be limited to climatic boundaries. It is influenced more by land-use patterns and human mismanagement than by climate alone. Therefore, a holistic and region-specific land degradation neutrality policy is essential to combat desertification across all ecological zones, not just in deserts.

Download as PDF