沙漠研究 22-1, 127 -129 (2012 )"ICAL 1 / DT X"

Journal of Arid Land Studies－Refereed Paper－Sustainable Land Management to Combat Desertification in Pakistan
Zahid HUSSAIN1) and Muhammad IRFAN*2)
Abstract: Pakistan is predominantly a dryland country, where 80% of its land area is arid to semi arid and majority of its 168 million
populations depend on dryland to support their livelihood mainly through agro-pastoral activities. Out of 79.6 million hectares ofland area of Pakistan, 62.4 million hectares are susceptible to desertification, as only 4.2% of the total land is under forests. In view ofthe aridity, 60% of the country is classed as rangelands, 48% of these rangelands are degraded. However, like many other dryland
developing countries, the majority of land is severely affected by land degradation. The desertification is mainly due to unsustainable
land management practices. The situation is further aggravated by scarcity of water, frequent drought, flash flood climatic change
impacts, which results in contributing to expansion of deserts, reduce land productivity and consequently increase in desertification andincrease in rural poverty. There are policies, institutional, financial and socio-economic issues which affect adversely to sustainable
overall land management in the country.
Key words: Desertification, Land management, Sustainable drought, Water management

1. Introduction

2. Issues Related to Desertification

Desertification is basically an outcome of soil degradation.
Decrease in land productivity is the direct effect of thedesertification; the desertification is the cause of agricultural
productivity losses and increases poverty, also reason of major
reductions in carbon storage in soils, loss of biodiversity andincreasing global warming. Decrease in vegetation, extra
pumping of water and overgrazing are the major cause ofdesertification which increases the soil erosion, soil salinity,
saline water and also cause of siltation in reservoirs. Rapid
growth in population and inefficient agricultural practices are
the manmade cause of increase in desertification.
Over 250 million peoples are affected by desertification,
3.6 billion hectares land area threatened by desertification andone billion people are under threat and 135 million peoples are
homeless all over the world. In Pakistan where 80% area issemi arid and arid and 168 million populations depend on
dryland to support their livelihood through agriculture. Outof 79.6 million hectares of land area of Pakistan, 62.4 million
hectares are susceptible to desertification, as only 4.2% of thetotal land is under forests. In view of the aridity, 60% of thecountry is classed as rangelands, 48% of these rangelands aredegraded.
Pakistan is running the national (Federal/Provincialorganizations and NGOs) and international (UNCCD, UNEP,UNDP, GEF, FAO and WFP) projects to combat thedesertification in different areas of country, and have successfulachievements and lessons for future work.

2.1. Water erosion
The soils in the Indus basin are undeveloped andsurrounding mountains have world’s largest and steepest slopes
which convey snow melting and rainfalls to contribute the soil
erosion, about 11 million hectares are affected by the watererosion and about 40 million tons of soil brought into the Indusbasin each year. The upstream riverside of the dam is losing
its top soil and downstream, sediments reducing the efficiencyof the irrigation system.
2.2. Wind erosion
The force behind the land degradation in deserts of Thal,
Cholistan, Ther, and Makran coastal areas is due to winderosion, 0.5 m to 4 m moving sand dunes are present in theseareas which create problems to cultivate the land, 28% of soil
is removed by the wind of the total loss.
2.3. Deforestations
4.2% of the total land is under forests which are shrinking
by 3.1% and wood biomass 5% annually due to deforestation.
Pakistan is losing forest badly due to indiscriminate cutting,overgrazing, poor management and manmade changes which
are desertification increasing factors.
2.4. Overgrazing
Overgrazing is also very serious matter to increase thedesertification because it is the cause of reducing forests; it is* Corresponding Author: u03337363314@yahoo.com
H.No. 185, St.No: 53, Sector G-10/3, Islamabad, Pakistan
1) Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Government of Pakistan

2) Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Government of Pakistan

increased day by day due to increase in livestock population.
Overgrazing reduces the productivity of land due to soil
compaction and vegetation.
2.5. Biodiversity
Increase in population, livestock and reduction invegetation, illegal hunting, water logging and salinity of soil
are the factors contributing the loss of biodiversity in thecountry. 31 species of mammals, 20 species of the birds and5 species of the reptiles are listed endangered in the country.

5. Terracing, which are leveled flat ground on the hills. This
will slows the pace of runoff, which reduces soil erosion.
6. Windbreaks, which involve the establishment of lines offast-growing trees planted at right angles to the prevailingsurface winds.
They are primarily used to slow
wind-driven soil erosion.
These are some techniques which will help to reduce thedesertification now we will discuss some case studies fromcountry.

4. Case Studies to Combat Desertification
2.6. Water logging and Salinity
The major reason of the water logging is excessive
percolation from water channels system which higher theground water level. The obstructions of the drains also
increase the problem of the water logging. 11 million
hectares area is affected by water logging and 2.8 million
hectares area is affected by the salinity/sodicity in the country.

3. Techniques for Decrease Desertification
1. Irrigation improvements, which can reduce water loss fromevaporation and prevent salt accumulation. Laser landleveling is the most important part of the land preparation,
after leveling of land water conveyance in the field will be
improved automatically because leveling provides an ideal
slop for the movement of water from head of the field totail of the field. Conveyance losses are reduced by thelining of the watercourses up to 30% after lining ofwatercourses 6 MAF water is saved which is now available
for 17% more area for crop production, irrigation timesaving is up to 28%, increase in cropping intensity 23%
and labor saving is 50%. Permanent raised bed (FurrowIrrigation) is also good practice to replace basin irrigation
system, the results reviled that water was saved 30 to 50%
and yield increase in wheat crop from 8 to 15%, maize 15to 30%, cotton 10 to 18% and fertilizer saving was up to 10to 15%. The sprinkler/drip irrigation is the best method
for reducing the water loss and improving the water useefficiency.
2. Re-vegetation, which prevent soil erosion from wind andwater. Trees can reduce the local effects of drought andhelp to maintain normal rainfall patterns.
3. Crop rotation, different crops rotation on the same field forseveral different growing seasons. This will help tomaintain the productivity of the soil by replenishing criticalnutrients removed during harvesting.
4. Rotational grazing, the grazing should be rotational, any
area of grazing leave before that will cause permanent
damage to the plants and soil of any one area.

1. The study was conducted at Dingarh on the wind erosion
control to stabilize sand dune. The research was oncontrol of wind erosion by fixing and stabilizing the sanddunes by vegetation and some mechanical work at
Cholistan desert.
The study area was fenced for protection of natural andplanted vegetation against grazing to present freemovement of animals as a requirement for sand dune
stabilization.
The area was surrounded by
micro-windbreaker to reduce wind velocity and stopmovement of sand from surroundings. Checkerboard
fence was raised by dub, these arrangements were toprotect seeding until they were established and withstandfor summer winds. Initially four types of trees wereplanted Eucalyptus, Acacia, Tamarix and Zizyphus.
Ground water saline with total soluble salts (TSS)
2800ppm, sodium absorption ratio (SAR) 14, pH 8.5 wasused finally 75% trees were established and survived
successfully.
2. The study was conducted at Pothwar plateau for gully land
management through soil conservation and water
harvesting. Contoured trenches were constructed withsmall bunds across the slope of the land on the leveled land;
the bunds were act as obstacle to the water flow forcontrolling run-off. To drain excess water outlets wereprovided. The tree plantation was made in the eye-browterraces along the contours. The surface runoff wasreduced by 19% with the eyebrow land shaping techniqueand Leucaena plant with elephant grass. Leucaena’s
growth rate was best by 23 cm/month, Eucalyptus, popular,mulberry, guava, apricot, loquat and ailanthus were also
planted productively. Under rainfed conditions we canreclaim the gullied land by adopting this technique.
3. The study was conducted to range improvement throughcommunity participation; Pakistan Agricultural ResearchCouncil initiated Operational Range Management Program(OPR). In this program farmers were involved forrangeland management interventions on the farmer’s field.

Reseeding, planting of trees and shrubs and fodder crops
cultivation were done with the contribution of farmers.
By adopting these techniques production potential isincreased and reducing the soil erosion and providing better
environment, 60 to 70 percent of the farmers of the area aregrowing now Dhaman, cowpeas and sorghum fodders, andnow farmers in the area are seeking for help forestablishing small scale commercial/livestock farms.
4. Salinity control and reclamation Program SCARP waslaunched for reclamation of salt affected soil in all overPakistan by installing underground and surface drainage
system in water logged soils by this program cropping
intensity was increased up to 121% as whole. In theSCARP area the cropping pattern of rice, sugarcane, maize,
and wheat were improved, cattle and buffalos population
was increased by 67%, milk production increased up to56.8% and meet production by 66%. Hence grass
production showed 116% increase. In other study Kallar
grass is widely distributed in the salt affected areas of thePakistan. This grass has very good ability to reclaim thesalt affected soil and used in the central Punjab and farmers
are now aware to use this grass to improve their salt
affected soils.
5. In Balochistan Fourwing saltbush can successfully beestablished in rangelands by using proper soil moisture
conservation techniques. It has extreme drought and cold
resistance and high quality browse during autumn andwinter. Fourwing saltbush has very good ability of
resprouting after cutting and also promoted as source offuel wood and can help reduce uprooting of shrubs fromalready

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