Lok Sabha Question No. 1141 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-18
Subject: Climate Change
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1141

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.09.2020

## Climate Change

## 1141.   SHRI T. R. BAALU:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether soil erosion adversely impacts environmental sustainability and undermines the ability of the environment to be resilient against Climate change, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  fact  that  soil  erosion  also  leads  to desertification and it can get much worse unless soil erosion is dealt with, on apriority basis; and
- (c) if  so,  the  preventive  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

(a) and (b)   Rainfall intensity is a key climatic driver of soil erosion. Soil erosion by water is the most serious form of land degradation in India. The extent of land degradation due to soil erosion/degradation by rainwater is about 82.6 million hectares out of the 121 million hectare total degraded area in India. The impacts of soil erosion by water can be seen in loss in crop productivity, disruption of nutrient cycle, alteration in water and energy balances, pollution of water  bodies, deterioration in water  quality, reduction of reservoir capacity, loss of biodiversity  and  disasters  like  floods  and  droughts.  These  have  a  strong  bearing  on environmental security. Further, climate change studies indicate that increase in amount and intensity  of  rainfall  will  lead  to  greater  rates  of  erosion  resulting  in  significant  increase  in water erosion induced land degradation.

As  per  the  Desertification  and  Land  Degradation  Atlas  of  India,  prepared  by  the  Space Applications Centre for the period 2011-2013, the most significant process of desertification/ land degradation in the country are (i) Water Erosion (10.98% in 2011-13); (ii) Vegetation Degradation (8.91% in 2011-13) and (iii)Wind erosion (5.55 % in 2011-13) which are the major  causes  leading  to  soil  erosion.  The  aforesaid  processes  of  land  degradation  are followed by water logging, salinity, mass movement, frost heaving and frost shattering. All these  degradation  processes  affect  the  quality  and  productivity  of  soil  thereby  causing  soil erosion /soil degradation which ultimately leads to desertification.

(c) The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation  (IISWC),  Dehradun  including  its  eight  Research  Centres  located  in  different agro-ecological  regions  of  the  country  have  developed  various  technologies  for  arable  and non-arable lands of rainfed areas of the country for arresting land degradation, preserving soil health  and  sustaining  agricultural  productivity  through  various  location  specific  soil  and water conservation measures under climate change scenario.

In addition, the National Afforestation & Eco-Development Board (NAEB) of the Ministry of Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  is  implementing  the  "National Afforestation  Programme (NAP)" for ecological restoration  of  degraded  forest  areas  under which an area of over 2 million ha has been approved for afforestation. NAP also supports Soil Moisture Conservation activities to improve the soil moisture regime in the area under implementation along with providing livelihood support for the locals. Various other schemes like  Green  India  Mission,  funds  accumulated  under  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund Management  and  Planning  Authority  (CAMPA),  Nagar  Van  Yojana  etc,  also  help  in checking  degradation  and  restoration  of  forest  landscape.  MOEF&CC  also  promote  trees outside forests primarily through expansion of agroforestry, optimum use of wastelands and vacant lands.

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