GULLY EROSION
: GEOGRAPHY
NEWS: 77
Indian districts experiencing ‘gully erosion’: Report
WHAT’S IN THE
NEWS?
India must
address gully erosion
in 77 districts
to meet the UN target of land degradation neutrality by 2030. The issue,
particularly severe in eastern India, requires urgent intervention, policy
reforms, and sustainable land management strategies.
Introduction:
- India needs to address gully erosion across 77
districts (mainly in eastern and southern India) to meet the United
Nations target of land degradation neutrality by 2030.
- A 2025 scientific report published in Nature
underscores the severity of land degradation, a global issue
affecting 20-40% of the world’s land area, according to the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Understanding
Land Degradation:
- Definition (UNCCD): Land degradation refers to the loss of
biological or economic productivity of land in arid, semi-arid, and
dry sub-humid areas.
- Definition (IPCC): Land degradation is seen as a long-term
reduction in the biological productivity of land.
Gully
Erosion & Its Impact in India:
- Gully erosion is a significant obstacle in India’s pursuit
of land degradation neutrality.
- It is a major cause of land degradation that
affects:
- Agriculture: Reduces arable land and agricultural
productivity.
- Water Stress: Increases vulnerability to water shortages
due to reduced water retention in the soil.
- Migration: Erosion forces people to migrate from
degraded areas to other regions.
- Gully erosion leads to the formation of badlands,
which are deeply dissected landscapes caused by prolonged erosion.
- The three major forms of gully erosion in
India are:
- Gully systems: Large erosion features cutting into the
land.
- Badlands: Prolonged erosion leading to deeply
dissected landscapes.
- Denuded hill slopes:
Areas with barren hills exposed due to erosion.
- Eastern India is more affected by gully erosion than central
and western India, requiring urgent attention in these regions.
Mapping
& Management of Gully Erosion:
- A detailed spatial inventory of gully erosion
has been created in India using high-resolution satellite imagery
(resolution ≤1 meter).
- The objectives of this inventory are to assess:
- The extent of erosion across affected areas.
- The current management conditions for
dealing with gully erosion.
- The needs for rehabilitative interventions
to address the ongoing erosion.
Key
Findings from the Report:
- 77 districts are identified as high-priority areas
requiring immediate intervention to control gully erosion.
- The worst-affected states are:
- Jharkhand: Identified as the highest priority for
gully management.
- Chhattisgarh
- Madhya Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Western India faces more badlands, which are deeply
eroded landscapes.
- Eastern India faces a greater number of gully features,
posing a larger threat to land and livelihoods.
Policy
Recommendations:
- There is a need for a clear land management
policy that distinguishes between badlands and gullies to
ensure effective intervention strategies.
- Climate change is expected to increase the intensity of rainfall,
which will likely lead to higher rates of gully erosion.
- Urgent rehabilitation measures are
essential for sustainable land conservation and combating the
adverse effects of gully erosion.
- District-level spatial maps will
be crucial in developing future management strategies for gully erosion
and targeted intervention efforts.
Conclusion:
- To achieve the UN target of land degradation
neutrality by 2030, India must prioritize efforts to control gully
erosion.
- This requires scientific mapping, policy
reforms, and the implementation of sustainable land management
practices to restore affected areas and prevent further degradation.
Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/environment/77-indian-districts-experiencing-gully-erosion-report