EFFECT OF LAND DEGRADATION ON AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Abstract

This study was on effect of land degradation on agricultural activities. Three objectives were raised which included: To find out the effect of land degradation on agricultural activities, to find out the causes of land degradation in Anambra state and to ascertain the strategies/measures used for controlling land degradation. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected residents in Anambra state. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).

Chapter one

Introduction

1.1Background of the study

Around 85% of the world’s land has been degraded, primarily as a result of soil erosion that has lowered food yield by 17% since the conclusion of World War II. The extent of soil erosion demonstrates that it is a global environmental issue, with some regions—such as the horn of Africa and the majority of the sub-Saharan region—being particularly vulnerable to erosion as a result of protracted dry spells and heavy erosive rainfall that falls on steep slopes with delicate soils, resulting in significant amounts of erosion. 2016 (Abdallah)

Land degradation is one of the most important environmental problems today, affecting both industrialized and developing nations, according to Sileshi (2016). However, in low-income nations where agriculture is the primary source of income, the severity and extent of its effects are far more severe.

It was discovered that soil degradation brought on by exploitative agriculture was related to land degradation (Boardman, Poesen and Evans,2003). One of the major factors contributing to land degradation is a loss in soil quality, which is thought to account for 84% of the steadily shrinking acreage.

Land degradation, mainly soil deterioration, is a significant environmental issue in Nigeria, according to Twagiramungu (2006). The degradation is especially connected to hydrous erosion, which affects a significant number of cultivated areas. It was predicted that hydrous erosion caused annual losses of around 15 000 000 tons of soil and reduced the ability to feed 40 000 people annually.

Climate factors that affect the amount and intensity of rainfall released on the land, soil erosion, population density, ignorance about and resistance to land management technology are some of the causes of land degradation. Agriculture, mining, deforestation (bush clearing and burning), oil exploration and exploitation, infrastructure development, and industrialization are human-engagement activities that can result in land degradation. There is gradually less land accessible for food production due to the growing global population and other non-agricultural land uses, while demand for food and other agricultural products is rising and there is a limited amount of land on earth (ELSwaify, 2002). According to the author, the implications of this are many: the extreme pressure will affect use and management of agricultural land and consequently affect agricultural yield and output. For instance this has started already in Nigeria where the fallow period has reduced to one or zero year. The marginal lands which should be left under grass or forest are being brought into cultivation and this has led to increased erosion (EL-Swaify, 2002). Also there have been increased levels of agricultural input (especially fertilizer and agrochemicals), expansion of area of land under cultivation and consequent distortion of natural ecosystem

Statement of the problem

Losses from land degradation can affect people’s lives, the economy, society, and infrastructure. It can lower agricultural output and yield in an agrarian system, bringing about starvation and destitution (Fagbemi, 2002). Extreme poverty is still a rural occurrence around the world, and the majority of rural residents depend on forestry, agriculture, fishing, and other associated industries to survive. Because of its detrimental effects on agronomic soil productivity, the environment, and its effects on food security and the quality of life, land degradation will continue to be a significant global issue for the 21st century (Eswaran and Reich, 2001). The connection between farmers, agriculture, land degradation, and poverty is thus made clear. Future sustainability in agriculture and development will be extremely challenging once land degradation takes hold in a region. Even while the losses brought on by land degradation may be difficult to quantify, they are severe and call for prompt and sufficient attention to be given to improving it.

Objective of the study

The objectives of the study are;

1. the effect of land degradation on agricultural activities

Research Hypotheses

The following research hypotheses are formulated;

H1: there are no effect of land degradation on agricultural activities

H2: there are causes of land degradation in Anambra state

Significance of the study

The study will give a clear insight on the effect of land degradation on agricultural activities. The study will be beneficial to students, lecturers and ministry of agriculture. The study will educate many on how to control land degradation. The study will also serve as a reference to other researcher that will embark on the related topic

Scope of the study

The scope of the study covers effect of land degradation on agricultural activities. The study will be limited to selected residents in Anambra state

Limitation of the study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed.

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