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According to Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India (2016), 96.40
million hectares (mha) area or 29.32% of the total geographical area (TGA) in India
is undergoing a process of land degradation during 2011–2013. Major land degradation was observed in the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jammu and
Kashmir, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana in
descending order, whereas rest of the states have individually less than 1% land
degradation. Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat and Goa have more than 50% of
degraded land in India. The land degradation map of India is given in Fig. 2.11.
The main reasons of land degradation in India are:
1. Loss of forest land
2. Excessive cultivation leading to soil erosion and desertification
3. Increasing in agriculture, urban and industrial areas
4. Over-population leading to over-exploitation of land resources
5. Wetland drainage
6. Overgrazing
7. Unsuitable land use practices
8. Changing climate, prolonged droughts and increasing incidences of floods landslides and frost heaving
According TERI’s ‘Study on Economics of Desertification, Land Degradation
and Drought in India’, land degradation and land use accounted for 2.54% GDP loss
which is equivalent to Rs. 3.17 lakh crore ($46.90 billion) in 2014–2015 (https://
www.teriin.org/infographics/economic-cost-land-degradation-india
Fig. 2.11 Land degradation map of India. (Source: ISRO 2016)
P. K. Sikdar and S. Basu
According to Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India (2016), 96.40
million hectares (mha) area or 29.32% of the total geographical area (TGA) in India
is undergoing a process of land degradation during 2011–2013. Major land degradation was observed in the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jammu and
Kashmir, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana in
descending order, whereas rest of the states have individually less than 1% land
degradation. Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat and Goa have more than 50% of
degraded land in India. The land degradation map of India is given in Fig. 2.11.
The main reasons of land degradation in India are:
1. Loss of forest land
2. Excessive cultivation leading to soil erosion and desertification
3. Increasing in agriculture, urban and industrial areas
4. Over-population leading to over-exploitation of land resources
5. Wetland drainage
6. Overgrazing
7. Unsuitable land use practices
8. Changing climate, prolonged droughts and increasing incidences of floods landslides and frost heaving
According TERI’s ‘Study on Economics of Desertification, Land Degradation
and Drought in India’, land degradation and land use accounted for 2.54% GDP loss
which is equivalent to Rs. 3.17 lakh crore ($46.90 billion) in 2014–2015 (https://
www.teriin.org/infographics/economic-cost-land-degradation-india
Fig. 2.11 Land degradation map of India. (Source: ISRO 2016)
P. K. Sikdar and S. Basu