SOIL EROSION ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPLAND FARMING SYSTEM UNDER POPULATION PRESSURE IN NORTHEAST INDIA

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 310-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Prokop ◽  
G. J. Poręba
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Northeast India ◽  
Population Pressure

scholarly journals Development and Environment: An Assessment of Population Growth vis-a-vis Soil Erosion in Nepal

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 173-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishikesh Pandey
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Policy Process ◽  
White Men ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Hybrid Knowledge ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Over Exploitation ◽  
Development And Environment

This paper discusses the environmental myths and narratives prevailing in Nepal in reference to the population growth and soil erosion. Soil erosion is taken as primary element of environmental degradation by the theory of the Himalayan Environmental Degradation (HED). Many myths and narratives were generated by the vested interest groups to develop the HED. Population growth and over exploitation of natural resource were considered as the prominent causes of soil erosion related environmental degradation. The myths and narratives based on the theory of the HED are still influential in development and environmental policy process in Nepal. In this background this paper highlights some of the research findings that are contrary to conventional belief i.e. population growth lead to soil erosion. The paper is based on literature review. The research evidences from both social and natural sciences are entertained. This paper generates alternative thinking to end the hegemony and unquestionable acceptance of the findings of research undertaken by 'Western, White men' as truth; and their recommendations as the 'blue print' solutions. Critics over orthodox environmentalism and neo-Malthusian accounts are made to validate the ‘hybrid knowledge’ generated in this paper. There are evidences that population pressure have promoted soil erosion. However, Himalayan environmental dynamism which is purely a natural process is far more responsible for soil erosion in the Himalaya. Hence, it is suggested that a critical assessment of any ‘facts’ obtained from research should be made before making them the narratives and reflecting them in policy process. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v7i0.10442 Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 7, 2013; 173-196

scholarly journals Exploring trajectories of shifting-cultivation landscapes through games the case of Assam, India.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.P.M. Bos ◽  
T. Cornioley ◽  
A. Dray ◽  
P.O. Waeber ◽  
C.A. Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Shifting Cultivation ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Northeast India ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Cultivation System ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
Role Playing Game ◽  
Plantation Crops

Abstract Understanding landscape change starts with understanding what motivates farmers to transition away from one system, shifting cultivation, into another, like plantation crops, given that they often have limited labour and money available. In this study we explored the resource allocation strategies of the farmers of the Karbi tribe in Northeast India, who practise a traditional shifting cultivation system called jhum. Through Companion Modelling, a participatory modelling framework, we developed a model of the local farming system in the form of a role playing game. Within this environment local jhum farmers participated in a simulation that covered 18 years of farming, while also allowing us to analyse the impacts of their decisions together. In the game, farmers allocated labour and cash to meet household needs, while also investing in new opportunities like bamboo, rubber and tea, or the chance to improve their living standards. When given new opportunities, the farmers were eager to embrace those options where investment costs, especially monetary investments, are low. Returns on these investments were not automatically re-invested in further long-term, more expensive and promising opportunities. Instead, most of the money is spend on improving the household living standards, and especially on the education of the next generation. The landscape changed profoundly as a result of the farmer strategies. Natural ecological succession was replaced by an improved fallow of marketable bamboo species. Plantations of tea and rubber became more prevalent as time progressed. However, old practises that ensure food security are not yet given up.

scholarly journals Review of sustainability of average Nepalese subsistence farm in mid-hills of Nepal

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 139-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tilak R Chaulagai
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Use Efficiency ◽  
Nitrogen Balance ◽  
Joint Venture ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Nitrogen Use ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Secondary Information ◽  
Public And Private Sector

The main aim of this paper is to depict the sustainability condition of an average subsistence farm in the mid-hill condition of Nepal. For the purpose, a hypothetical farm representing the average condition of the farming system in the area is taken. The analysis is based on the secondary information. For the purpose, only few indicators for the sustainability are analysed including gross profit margin, nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen balance. The results reflect that an average subsistence farm in the midhill of Nepal earn just NRs 79,449 per annum. The nitrogen balance was negative and nitrogen use efficiency was more than 100% reflecting the system was economically and environmentally unsustainable. The problem behind unsustainability of the system is basically related with poverty and increased population pressure on poorly fertile land. Only a joint venture of public and private sector can address the problem.

Eroding Traditional Knowledge Systems Plea Scientific Validation: Ecological Characterization of Traditionally Managed Semi-Deep Water Rice Field Agroecosystem in Barak Valley, Assam, Northeast India

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (02) ◽  
pp. 88-96
Author(s):  
Tapati Das ◽  
Malabika Bhattacharjee
Keyword(s):  
Rice Field ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Northeast India ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Barak Valley ◽  
Rice Fish ◽  
Scientific Validation

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) systems illustrate various ways and means of natural resource utilization and management, which has come into being through keen observations as well as the age-old trial and error methods. However, such knowledge systems are gradually eroding due to various reasons. Proper documentation, characterization, scientific validation, and popularization of such knowledge systems would help in preserving them for posterity. The present study characterizes the ecological attributes of a traditional rice farming system called Asra in Karimganj district of Barak Valley, Assam. The objective was to investigate the water properties and community composition of plankton and rice stem epiphyton of the water logged Asra rice field agro-ecosystem. The substantial contribution of Asra rice field ecosystems in maintaining the overall biodiversity of the system has been highlighted in the present study. The study revealed the presence of 77 genera of phytoplankton and 55 genera of rice stem phyto-epiphyton, which belonged to six major classes viz., Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Euglenophyceae, Xanthophyceae and Zygnemophyceae. Besides, 29 genera of zooplankton and 14 genera of rice stem zoo-epiphyton belonging to five major groups viz., Protozoa, Cladocera, Copepoda, Ostracoda and Rotifera were also recorded. The study shows that the Asra rice fields are rich repository of plankton and rice stem epiphyton, the natural live food resources for fish. The study emphasizes on conservation of traditional farming system like Asra, and stresses on the need for sustainable utilization of the existing bioresources in such system by introducing the concurrent practice of rice-fish culture in the study area.

scholarly journals A Review on Assessing and Mapping Soil Erosion Hazard Using Geo-Informatics Technology for Farming System Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4063
Author(s):  
Sumudu Senanayake ◽  
Biswajeet Pradhan ◽  
Alfredo Huete ◽  
Jane Brennan
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Erosion Hazard ◽  
Rainfall Variation ◽  
Erosion Hazards

Soil erosion is a severe threat to food production systems globally. Food production in farming systems decreases with increasing soil erosion hazards. This review article focuses on geo-informatics applications for identifying, assessing and predicting erosion hazards for sustainable farming system development. Several researchers have used a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods with erosion models, integrating geo-informatics techniques for spatial interpretations to address soil erosion and land degradation issues. The review identified different geo-informatics methods of erosion hazard assessment and highlighted some research gaps that can provide a basis to develop appropriate novel methodologies for future studies. It was found that rainfall variation and land-use changes significantly contribute to soil erosion hazards. There is a need for more research on the spatial and temporal pattern of water erosion with rainfall variation, innovative techniques and strategies for landscape evaluation to improve the environmental conditions in a sustainable manner. Examining water erosion and predicting erosion hazards for future climate scenarios could also be approached with emerging algorithms in geo-informatics and spatiotemporal analysis at higher spatial resolutions. Further, geo-informatics can be applied with real-time data for continuous monitoring and evaluation of erosion hazards to risk reduction and prevent the damages in farming systems.

scholarly journals Impact Assessment of Vegetation Growth on Soil Erosion of a Landfill Cover Surface

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-79
Author(s):  
Janarul Shaikh ◽  
Sudheer Kumar Yamsani ◽  
Manash Jyoti Bora ◽  
Sreedeep Sekharan ◽  
Ravi Ranjan Rakesh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Northeast India ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
Cover System ◽  
Landfill Cover ◽  
Artificial Rainfall ◽  
Field Assessment ◽  
Landfill Cover System ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Soil erosion is a very common phenomenon encountered at many sloped earthen geotechnical structures. For instance, the surface soil of an inclined landfill cover system undergoes the erosion due to various adverse atmospheric variants. This is one of the major causes for performance failure in the cover system. However, previous researchers have rarely conducted the study for field assessment of soil erosion in high rainfall tropical regions such as northeast India. The literature advocates the utilization of vegetation for erosion management. This study investigated the impact of vegetation growth on soil erosion of a cover surface layer under both natural and controlled artificial rainfall. The soil erosion was monitored by collecting the soil loss due to rainfall. Vegetation growth was evaluated based on photographic image analyses. The study clearly indicates that the vegetation growth can contribute to reduction of soil erosion from the landfill cover surface.

scholarly journals Exploring Livelihood Strategies of Shifting Cultivation Farmers in Assam through Games

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swen P. M. Bos ◽  
Tina Cornioley ◽  
Anne Dray ◽  
Patrick O. Waeber ◽  
Claude A. Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Shifting Cultivation ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Northeast India ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Cultivation System ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
Role Playing Game ◽  
Plantation Crops

Understanding landscape change starts with understanding what motivates farmers to transition away from one system, shifting cultivation, into another, like plantation crops. Here we explored the resource allocation strategies of the farmers of the Karbi tribe in Northeast India, who practice a traditional shifting cultivation system called jhum. Through a participatory modelling framework, we co-developed a role-playing game of the local farming system. In the game, farmers allocated labour and cash to meet household needs, while also investing in new opportunities like bamboo, rubber and tea, or the chance to improve their living standards. Farmers did embrace new options where investment costs, especially monetary investments, are low. Returns on these investments were not automatically re-invested in further long-term, more expensive and promising opportunities. Instead, most of the money is spend on improving household living standards, particularly the next generation’s education. The landscape changed profoundly based on the farmers’ strategies. Natural ecological succession was replaced by an improved fallow of marketable bamboo species. Plantations of tea and rubber became more prevalent as time progressed while old practices ensuring food security were not yet given up.

Where Once There was Grain to Burn: A Farming System in Crisis in Eastern Malawi

1998 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Shaxson ◽  
Charlie Riches
Keyword(s):  
Farming System ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Farmer Knowledge ◽  
Parasitic Weed ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Study Village ◽  
History Of ◽  
Maize Plants

The parasitic weed Striga asiatica is a serious problem in maize crops in southern Malawi and much of the rest of southern Africa. The authors spent two years studying farmer knowledge of the weed in an area of south-eastern Malawi, and the links between population pressure, soil fertility and Striga incidence. Following a discussion of the history of the study village, the results of a series of field trials are presented which test the effect of altered fertilizer applications on yields of maize plants in Striga infested areas. These show that simply changing the timing of fertilizer application, using the rates farmers currently use, could have a dramatic effect on the maize plant's ability to cope with the weed and on the economics of maize production.

scholarly journals Watershed prioritization for soil erosion mapping for the Lesser Himalayan Indian basin using PCA, WSA method in conjunction with morphometric parameters and GIS-based approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atul Kumar ◽  
Sunil Singh ◽  
Malay Pramanik ◽  
Shairy Chaudhary ◽  
Ashwani Kumar Maurya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Overland Flow ◽  
Morphometric Parameters ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Watershed Prioritization ◽  
Relative Relief ◽  
Hypsometric Integral ◽  
Relief Ratio

Abstract Watersheds in the subtropical Himalayan basins are highly prone to land degradation due to deforestation, landslides, intensive agriculture, population pressure, and overgrazing, in particular, where various fluvial and denudation processes occur. It is important to assess the magnitude of problem and to understand the erosion process under normal conditions, so that effective measures can be implemented. Therefore, the study selected Kalsa watershed from the Lesser Himalayan region, where soil erosion is more prominent. Regarding this issue, to identify the hotspot of soil erosion of the basin, watershed prioritization methods using advanced geographical information system and remote sensing techniques integrated with weighted sum analysis (WSA) and principal component analysis (PCA). In addition, a comparison has been made to evaluate the performance of these models. The study considered sixteen different morphometric parameters, including linear (Rho coefficient, stream frequency, drainage density, length of overland flow, drainage texture, and constant of channel maintenance); landscape (relative relief, relief ratio, basin slope, and ruggedness number); and shape (elongation ratio, form factor, circulatory ratio, and compactness coefficient). Both the method PCA and WSA indicate the same results showing high priority, meaning the outlet watersheds have high priority. The sub-watersheds in the north-eastern part have the lowest priority. The results also show that the length overland flow, relative relief, basin relief ratio and hypsometric integral are the most important indicators. The sub-watersheds prioritize high ranks, medium ranks, and low ranks out of 10 sub-watersheds covering about 45.32%, 27.78% and 26.90% area of the Kalsa River watershed, respectively. This study will help regional planners, farmers, and governments take more detailed decisions to propose efficient soil erosion control measures and conservation priorities of the watershed. The study findings have implications for sustainable land management and conservation goal targets (target 2.3 and 2.4; target 3.9; target 13.1, 13.2 and 13.3; target 15.3 and 15.4), which finally helps to achieve the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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