Wastelands: rehabilitation and management

approaches improving natural resources

T.V. Ramachandra and Raushan Kumar management. Rehabilitation and
sustainable management of land is
essential to meet the gap between
affected land, shifting cultivation area,

W astelands are the degraded

and unutilized lands except
current fallows due to "

different constraints (CSIR, 1990). Poor

degraded forest area, degraded non-forest
plantation, sandy area, mining and
industrial wasteland, and pasture and
grazing lands. Compared to this,
demand and supply; create employment
in rural areas and strengthen rural
infrastructure; check soil erosion and
;malnutrition; reduce runoff by water and
land practices have led to malnutrition wind; maintain biological diversity and
and decline in production capacity of unculturable wastelands include barren, the nutrient storage in soil matrix.
the soil. It is estimated that in rocky, stony wastes, sheet rock area,
steep sloping area and snow covered and/ Goals in this regard are to check further
wastelands the biomass production is degradation; sustainable use of degraded
less than 20% of its overall potential. It or glacial area.
lands; increase biomass availability
includes areas affected by water logging, Wastelands - precnrsor of along with nourishing soil; and restore
ravine, sheet and gully erosion, riverine desertification ecological balance. This can be done by
lands, shifting cultivation, salinity and
District wise land use analysis in participatory approach with the help of
alkalinity, shifting and sand dunes, wind
Karnataka state, India using collateral local people in the planning and
erosion, extreme moisture deficiency, management of lands. Ecosystem
coastal sand dunes etc. These degraded and remote sensing data reveals that
about 35-40% of lands in arid and approaches in management considering
lands are ecologically unstable with watershed, would ensure integration of
almost complete loss of top soil and are semiarid areas are either degraded or
waste lands (http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/ various ecological components (both
unsuitable for cultivation due to decline
energy). Land degradation in arid, semi- biotic and abiotic). This would also help
in their quality and productivity. These in enhancing the socio-economic status
can be categorized as: arid and dry sub-humid areas has taken
place mainly due to anthropogenic of a region. Similar approaches practiced
i. Non-forest public degraded lands: activities and climatic variations and this in drier districts like Ananthpur (Andhra
These are not lawfully defined as process is commonly known as Pradesh), Tumkur, Bangalore rural
forest or which have not been legally desertification (UNEP, 1991). Analyses (Karnataka) have yielded positive results
included in government records. of desertification causes clearly indicate with iIitrease in land productivity and
These are registered by different the human interferences, and natural ground water levels in the respective
names in the revenue records. watersheds.
calamities as the prime movers of
Ownership of these lands is vested desertification. Factors responsible for People friendly action programme helps
with the government, such as revenue desertification are heavy pressure on local people and organisations in
department, public works land, underlying physical conditions, rehabilitating and improving the
department, Railways, etc. These land shortage (due to increase in degraded lands. In this regard,
lands may be under the control of the population), size and distribution of management aspects are:
village Panchayat and are meant for
common use; no individual can
population, population growth, regional
administrative policies and global
. Fixing target areas (degraded forest
occupy them for private use through climatic conditions. These causal factors area and pastures, public and private
encroachment. wastelands, farmlands with lower
can be grouped as immediate and indirect
causes. Immediate include land use productivity).
ii. Degraded forestlands: These are
legally constituted as forest and practices like exposing soil to greater . Assessing the infrastructure available
risk. Indirect causes include the regional to meet the requirement;
include reserved, protected or
undefined forest. These are either administrative policies, effectiveness of Finding the possibilities of involving
completely devoid of trees and/or government to resolve the land conflict, the government, NGOs, and local
other vegetation, or contain trees in and approaches of research and
extension.
very low densities, or are simply
shrubs. Processes that are closely linked to
iii. Private degraded lands: These are desertification are (1) drought - a period
of one or two years with below average
private marginal agricultural lands on
rainfall, (2) desiccation"- a process of
which economic agriculture is not
aridification resulting from a dry period
possible as productivity does not
commensurate with labour lasting over decades, and (3) dry land
degradation brought about mainly by
employed. These lands may be
inappropriate land use practices. These
subjected to heavy erosion and the
soil is infertile. different processes need different
management approaches as the level and
Due to lack of irrigation,or unfavorable severity varies. These processes could be
climate, some lands are not cultivated prevented and reversed by integrated
and are categorized as either culturable ecosystem approaches involving land and
or unculturable wastelands. Culturable water by considering watershed as
wastelands include gullied and/or planning unit. This means that the
ravenous land, undulating upland, planners' attention has to be shifted from
surface waterlogged land and marsh, salt combating desertification towards

10 LEISA INDIA. DECEMBER 2003

 people. The key elements of a outcome of these analyses highlights the monosperma, Pongamia pinnata,
participatory approach being local need to maintain vegetation of native Schleichera oleasa, Madhuca latifolia,
peoples' priorities; provision of species in order to ensure perennial Emblica officinalis, Cassia fistula,
secure rights and gains to the poor; water supply in streams and to meet the Strychnos nux-vomica, Odina wodier,
flexible approaches; working with bioresource demand. Dillenia pentagyrra; ltylia xylocarpa,
local groups and institutions, capacity Buchanania lanzan, Careya arborea,
The rehabilitation of degraded lands
building of motivated local people Terminalia chebula, Pterocarpus
. Government has to give priority in
through the management of soil and
vegetation would minimise siltation and
marsupium, Phoenix sylvestris,
Mangifera indica, Dendrocalamus
terms of funding, encouragement, and enhance the water yield in the catchment.
policy making (see box 1). strictus, Bambusa arundinacea,
It depends on soil capability, climatic
. Measures to strengthen local conditions, plant species, infrastructure,
Azadirachta indica, Cordia myxa, Aegle
marmelos, Sapindus laurifolius,
organisations, by delegating more and local policies, etc.
Spondias mangifera.
power and responsibility to local
Species selection is based on local
communities, decentralised resource Local people should be involved and
conditions, survival, adaptability and
management etc. decentralised farmer's nursery should be
. Research and information access to
understand the causes for land
productivity. Thus, genetic quality of
native species to withstand adverse
promoted, thus generating employment
to the locals in the afforestation
environment becomes important for the
degradation and effective means to programmes.
growth and adaptability to soils with
address them. Conclusion
different depth and water retention
. Wasteland monitoring and capacities. The plant establishment
primarily depends upon the development
The discussion highlights the need for an
preparedness. integrated ecosystem approach in
. NGOs have a pivotal task in the of good root system. The inherent
characteristics of a species to propagate
watershed management considering all
implementation of the action plan. components to maintain sustainability.
(See box 2). or regenerate itself vegetatively such as, This would help in combating
. Mechanisms by which local-people,
by root suckers, when damaged, is also
important for survival. The basic
desertification. Rehabilitation of the
degraded land through the sustainable
NGOs and other groups can
parameters for selection of species for management of soil and vegetation
contribute to implementation and
wasteland adaptability can be would minimise siltation and enhance
monitoring of wasteland development
programme on regular basis. . Survival at nursery and the water yield in the catchment. Multi-
. Promoting conservation of natural
resources through traditional .
transplantation level on site.
High establishment rate.
species approach with native species in
afforestation would be more

knowledge. . Good root and growth system.

advantageous from the point of

. Promoting ideas to consider the . High reproductive fertility.

resistance to pest and diseases, meeting

village as an ecosystem and to . Enhancement of soil nutrient status. (Continued on page 24)

.
maintain its integrity.
. Good regeneration.
Providing examples of the practices
done at different places. . Recovery from damage through Box 2: Rolli ofNGOs in the

. Integrated village ecosystem planning

.
vegetative propagation or seed.
Meet the local requirement of fuel,
implement~tion of action plan

with watershed approach needs to be

food and fodder.
espoused for sustainable
development. This would enhance the The decisive factors in species selection
total natural resource base by for degraded land rehabilitation are:
restoration and management of
. site-specific local species.
degraded lands, production of basic
biomass needs of the village . silvicultural characteristicsof the
community and equity in distribution species.
of biomass resource. . utilization potential of species.

Rehabilitation of degraded lands "-

. exotic species should be avoided as
far as possible and be considered only
6,000 million tonnes of fertile soil when the indigenous species are
containing 5 million tonnes of NPK unable to thrive in a degraded
nutrients are displaced each year (Vohra, ecosystem.
1978). Some of the degraded lands in the
catchment of major irrigation reservoirs
. afforestation should involve a multi-
species approach. This would be
(Cauvery, Krishna, etc.) and hydro
more advantageous from the point of
electric reservoirs (Uttara Kannada,
resistance to pest and diseases, and
Shimoga districts) are causing rapid more efficient utilization of
sedimentation. Studies in Sharavathi
environmental resource. This can also
river basin reveal the existence of
serve as a better cover to the soil and
streams with perennial water supply in
regeneration of soil.
watersheds with good vegetation of
evergreen to semi-evergreen species . The plant species suggested for
(western part of the river basin), while reforestation of open, fallow, degraded
degraded lands on the eastern side of the lands of low rainfall zones in the eastern
river basin are with seasonal streams part of the catchment are: Acacia
(http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy). The catechu, Acacia concinna, Butea

LEISA INDIA. DECEMBER 2003 11

(Continued from page 11)

Wastelands:rehabilitation and management approaches

the local demand, perennial water source References:
6. Toulmin, C. 1993. Combating
and more efficient utilization of desertification: setting agenda for a global
1. Agarwal, A. and Narain S. 1990. Village
environmental resource. This serves as a Ecosystem Planning, Centie for Science and convention, International Institute for
better cover to the soil and aids in Environment, International Institute for Environment and Development, Dryland
regeneration of soil. Environment and Development, Dryland . Network Programme.
Network Programme. 7. http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/
Acknowledgements Welcome.html
2. Forest Research Institute, 1988. Wasteland
We thank the Ministry of Environment Development for Fuelwood and Fodder 8. Toulmin, C..1995. The convention to
and Forests, Government of India and Production. FRI Press, New Delhi. combat desertification: guideline for NGOs
KPCL, Government of Karnataka for 3. Khan, 1. 1987. Wasteland Afforestation activity, International Institute for
financial support. (Techniques and Systems), Oxford and IBH Environment and Development, Dryland
. Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi. Network Programme.

Dr. T.Y. Ramachandra 4. Mazzucato, M. and Niemeijer, D, 2001.

Over estimating land degradation,
Energy & Wetlands Research Group, Centre
underestimating in the Sahel, International
for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of
Institute for Environment and Development,
Science, Bangalore 560 012, India.
Dryland Network Programme.
Tel: 91- 080- 3600985,3943099, 3942506,
e-mail: [email protected], 5. Roy, A. K. and Verma S. K. 2001.
[email protected], Wasteland Management and Environment,
ces [email protected] Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur, India.

24 LEISA INDIA. DECEMBER 2003

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