This study was carried out to estimate the economic losses caused by land degradation in different agroclimatic zones of Rajasthan. The economic losses were calculated by using an estimation model based on the amount of degraded land in each zone multiplied by the total value of output per hectare. Economic losses due to land degradation in the state as a whole ₹ 55.24 billion per year at 2017-18 prices. The highest losses were reported in the flood-prone eastern plain (₹ 10.67 billion) and the lowest in the Luni basin transitional plain (₹ 1.37 billion). The magnitude of economic losses in Rajasthan varied according to the severity of degradation, climatic factors, farming activities (including the number of crops cultivated and crop productivity) across agro-climatic zones.
Rajasthan loses ₹ 55.24 billion every year at 2017-18 prices in terms of the economic losses due to land degradation.
In Rajasthan the highest economic losses were observed on the flood-prone eastern plains zone due to higher agricultural activities.
Wind erosion (55.91%) and water erosion (42.26%) contribute major portion to total land degradation in Rajasthan.
Rajasthan loses ₹ 55.24 billion every year at 2017-18 prices in terms of the economic losses due to land degradation.
In Rajasthan the highest economic losses were observed on the flood-prone eastern plains zone due to higher agricultural activities.
Wind erosion (55.91%) and water erosion (42.26%) contribute major portion to total land degradation in Rajasthan.
Land is a vital resource for the production of food, forestry, biodiversity, natural water management and acting as a carbon store. Land is a key agricultural input and one of the key resources needed for a modern economy (
Land degradation is a major concern not only for India, but also for Rajasthan agriculture, on which the majority of the population depends for their livelihood. Many policies and programs have been implemented in Rajasthan over the last few decades to address this issue, but the results have been disappointing (Sharma
Rajasthan is India’s largest state in terms of area, encompassing 342239 km2 (or 10.40% of India’s total geographical area), lies on the western side of India, between 23° 30’ to 30.11’ North latitude and 69° 29’ to 78.17’ East longitude. Rajasthan state has been divided into ten agro-climatic zones based on climatic conditions and prevalent agricultural practices, each with its own distinct characteristics. Across the agro-climatic zones, there are significant differences in land use pattern, rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind velocity, and sunshine duration. The eastern and southern parts of Rajasthan are wetter, hillier, and more fertile, whereas the northern and western parts of Rajasthan are generally sandy and dry. In Rajasthan, the temperature ranges from 49°C in the summer and drops to−2°C in the winter. The annual rainfall average ranges from less than 100 mm to 1100 mm. Therefore, the state of Rajasthan was purposefully chosen for the study.
The model uses the extent of degraded land in each zone (estimated by ICAR and NAAS) multiplied by the per hectare total value of output to calculate the economic losses due to land degradation (
A sensitivity analysis serves as a way to determine the robustness of results
Rajasthan as a whole was subjected to 11 different kinds of degradation viz., (i) exclusively water erosion (>10 tonnes/ha/year), (ii) water erosion under open forest, (iii) exclusively wind erosion, (iv) exclusively saline soils, (v) eroded saline soils, (vi) saline soils under wind erosion, (vii) exclusively sodic soils, (viii) eroded sodic soils, (x) sodic soils under wind erosion, (x) sodic soils under open forest, and (xi) eroded sodic soils under open forest. Later on, all these compressed into four broad classes, viz., water erosion, wind erosion, saline soils and sodic soils. The extent of land degradation caused by various factors thathas been depicted in
It is evident from
Water erosion and wind erosion were the main causal factors for degradation of land in different agro-climatic zones of Rajasthan. Water erosion was dominant in Humid Southern Eastern Plain, Humid Southern, Sub-Humid Southern Plains, Flood Prone Eastern Plain, Semi-Arid Eastern Plain and Transitional plain of Luni basin, and wind erosion in Arid Western, Irrigated North Western Plain, Hyper Arid Partial Irrigated, and Inland Drainage Dry region. These regions covers parts of the Thar Desert, hence, wind erosion are the major cause of land degradation in Rajasthan followed by water erosion.
Extent of Land Degradation in Different Zones of Rajasthan (’000 ha)
Economic Losses due to Land Degradation in Different Zones of Rajasthan
Economic losses due to land degradation under two alternative scenarios
The extent of losses varied with the amount of land degraded and the total value productivity.
Reclamation measures may result in extent of land degradation over the time period or it might increase due to the anticipated growth in prices of agricultural output. To capture this sensitivity, analysis was also performed in two scenarios. Scenario-I studied the 10 per cent higher extent of degradation and Scenario-II studied the 10 per cent lower extent of degradation. The results were portrayed in the
On the basis of the foregoing results, it is clear that roughly 59.68 per cent of the area of Rajasthan is degraded by different kinds of degradation. Rajasthan loses ₹ 55.24 billion every year at 2017-18 prices in terms of the economic losses due to land degradation. The magnitude of economic losses in Rajasthan varies widely due to the severity of degradation, climatic factors, and cropping patterns across different agro-climatic zones. In Rajasthan the highest economic losses were observed on the flood-prone eastern plains zone, because in this zone, there were higher agricultural activities, such as number of crop and their productivity. Wind erosion and water erosion were the two main causes of land degradation in Rajasthan. Reclamation of degraded areas in Rajasthan calls for a strict landuse policy, better land regulation and reinforcement of watershed management initiatives including afforestation and other programmes aimed at conserving soil and water.