11.0 Watershed deterioration
Unplanned, uncontrolled irrational human interventions and improper land use leads to the deterioration of watershed areas. 11.1. Causes of Watershed Degradation are as follows:
11.1a.Deforestation and Destruction of Natural Vegetation:
Destruction of natural vegetation is primarily caused by deforestation. Deforestation not only occurs as a result of firewood extraction by the local population but also as a result of the creation of arable as well as pastoral land. As population figures rise, the extraction of firewood and thus the bias between firewood production and usage increases, therefore reinforcing deforestation and destruction of natural vegetation. Forests not only improve the annual retention capacity
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Restoring sustainable relationships which had been destroyed due to actions in the past There by ensure the best use of Resources in a watershed.
13.2. Objectives of Watershed Management:
The main goal of Watershed Management is to implant the sustainable management of natural resources to improve the quality of living for the population. Following are the objectives of watershed management
• Improvement and restoration of soil quality and thus, raising productivity rates.
• Supply and securing of clean and sufficient drinking water for the population.
• Improvement of infrastructure for storage, transport and agricultural marketing
• Recharging of ground water to provide regular water supply for consumption, hydropower generation, and industry usage as well as for irrigation.
• To minimize the risks of floods, droughts and landslides.
• To develop rural areas in the region with clear plans for improving the economy of the regions.
• Pollution control
• Wild life preservation
• Erosion control and prevention of soil, degradation and conservation of soil and water.
• Employment generation through industrial development dairy fishery production.
• Reduction of inequalities between irrigated and rain-fed areas and poverty
water is alleviating the burden on receiving water bodies. As more water is being depleted from
Time and time again it has been seen that human interaction with his/her environment and it’s ecosystems has shown to be increasingly arrogant and self-serving. These endless accounts are proven by the amount of important biological diversity that is being lost to the surrounding environment due to these threats of human development and population growth. There are two forms of these losses of diversity by human hand: direct and indirect. Direct losses would be the destruction of an area needed for human requirements be it social or economical. Examples of these losses would be housing, agriculture, and others. Indirect losses would be those caused by the destruction of an area also needed for the same requirements but the area’s commodities which are valued, water, food, land in general, is needed elsewhere. These losses are few in number compared with those of direct losses yet they are of the greatest importance. They are important because they involve the removal of resources of an area in which other inhabitants are dependent upon. A great example of this regrettable indirect expansion is the loss of the rich habitat of the area known as Owens Valley.
issues such as how to supply fresh water to rural areas and what to do
Unfortunately, these beautiful and diverse ecosystems are in trouble from a large variety of sources. These sources being everything from natural water temperature fluctuations to being mined for building materials.
To examine how watershed management associations can improve environmental superintendence and consequently development patterns, one must first examine the existing landscape pattern on physical and political scales. New Jersey is composed of 566 municipalities, each functioning pseudo-independently from one another. These municipalities, “…each with home-rule authority to make decisions and policies concerning development without regard [of] their potential negative effects on neighboring towns, “ (Shutkin 2000) create an atmosphere of competition and discordance. This unproductive circumstance is a product of human invention. For it is “multiple ownership or administration within watersheds [that] present some major challenges for watershed management policy and planning” (Satterlund and Adams 1992). Municipal boundaries do not account for broader natural boundaries. While it is true that a municipal boundary might coincide with a stream or ridge, municipalities generally overlook broader, more important delineations like watersheds.
Deforestation is a widely used term, but one with different meanings. Disturbance deforestation refers to all man made disturbances that alter a forest, these are the most common. This argumentative essay discusses the positive and negative aspects of deforestation. In the first part of the essay the pro arguments of deforestation will be discussed. For example, the issue of Global population and how forests are being used, land use and the ways forests contribute, wood use, forest growth, destruction and the reasons for cutting down the trees. The second half of the essay will cover the issues that are harmful to the environment because of deforestation. Many environmental issues take place everyday; a big question that arises, is if the global economy will ever finds middle on the issue of forest thinning. If deforestation was used only in the most crucial of times, the world might become a better place.
As described by Alan F. Arbogast in his book Discovering Physical Geography, deforestation is “the process through which large tracts of land are cleared of trees by humans” (270). Today, deforestation is described as quite a major issue because the amount of forest cover in our global society is being reduced dramatically. In fact, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, continents South America and Africa experienced a -5.2% and -11.7% change in forest cover from years 1990-2010 respectively (Arbogast 271). South America and Africa’s forestland cover have declined these percentages, which many researchers believe contribute to deforestation. Too much forest cover is being used and not much attention is being paid to taking care of the land. When these natural lands are cleared, many problems can emerge, such as biodiversity in the tropical forest biomes, global warming, and ultimately, the “extinction of plant and animal species that have yet to be discovered” (Arbogast 271). Deforestation is an ongoing issue in our society today and has many reasons why it is caused in the first
This article describes the history of deforestation around the world and explaining how deforestation started as part of a civilizing process. Then the article tells that human populations increase causes deforestation because humans need more land for food, water, and for living purposes. Also in the last part of the article it talks about how the future of deforestation is worse than the present, even with our reforestation efforts the environment is being destroyed to fast for us to stop especially in the
The deforestation of the Earth has been done for thousands of years, with the intention of clearing land to enhance farming crops or any type of livestock. Tropical forests are considered to be contributed with developing countries and our needs for them are not being met. Neither local nor national needs are being met, which influences economic globalization. This means that the needs and wants of our population are contributing to the bearing of these. Deforestation, by definition is referred to as “the removal of forest cover as a result of human activity.”(Gove 593). Direct causes for deforestation are the interest in infrastructure expansion such as building or altering roads, the interest in agricultural expansion, and wood extraction for sources of fuel or coal. A single direct cause is typically rare for deforestation. Many processes work together to cause the deforestation of our lands, which leads to no direct cause, most of the time.
Have you ever thought how important our watershed is to us? Well think about us not having a watershed that provides the creeks, ponds, lakes, etc. Without us having a watershed, we wouldn’t have water getting into the inner states. A watershed is a way water drains into bigger bodies of water. The watershed is so important because it lets storms or over flooding have a way to run down into bigger streams or bodies of water. “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” (Carson) “Filthy water cannot be washed.”(W.A. Proverb)
Effective ecosystem management will maintain the continuation of species of plants and animals as well as variation of genetics. Malaysia positioned in the humid tropical landscape making it covered with extraordinary variety of flora and fauna. This landscape is known as the tropical rainforest had evolved over million years ago comprises from the smallest microscopic organism like bacteria to large species as such mammals, reptiles and birds (Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, 2013). Other than that, forest plays a vital role in controlling the humidity, temperature and precipitation on earth. They absorb carbon dioxide and thus maintaining the purity of air and controlling atmospheric pollution. In addition, forest host major reservoirs of minerals, metal, biomass and land for agriculture expansion. However, conflicts over these resources had contributed to massive deforestation with improper management (Wolvekamp et al. 1999). Since the agricultural and industrial era began, the rate of ecological destruction had far exceeded the rate of ecological repair. If limitless greediness towards clearance of tropical forest is continuing in Malaysia, it is possible that in a blink of eye humans will lose their forest. Moreover, deforestation provokes irreversible damage and doing reforestation will not entirely reverse the effect. Despite the different ecological, political and economic circumstances, it is easy to justify the common causes of forest destruction, the lost of livelihood and culture. However,...
The Pangani Basin Water Board believes that the main cause of this problem is the lack of water management and proper governing in the area. As a representative of the water board, it is important to “ensure that water resources are managed sustainably, through water governance and integrated water resources management principles” (Pangani Basin Water Board). In order to achieve a sustainable management and development of water resources, it is important to provide ample opportunities and benefits to the basin population. The Board consists of ten members that are chosen representatives from the community near the Pangani Basin (Pangani Basin Water Board). It is crucial, as a member of the Water B...
Non-Commercial farming operations are the another cause for deforestation. These exist in two forms. One called slash and burn agriculture, which occurs when people cut, burn, and farm a small patch of forest. Generally, the farming is successful for two or three years. Then, if the farm is on nutrient poor soil, the area must be abandoned and process repeated in another area of forest. Originally, many indigenous rainforest tribes in various regions of the world practice slash and burn agriculture without long-term damage to the forest; their numbers were small and this allow...
An immediate effect of deforestation is removing natural habitats of several species residing in the forest. This has caused many different species to become endangered or extinct. The atmosphere is also impacted when deforestation occurs. Trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. When trees are removed less oxygen is produced and more carbon dioxide remains damaging the ozone layer. “The reason that logging is so bad for the climate is that when trees are felled they release the carbon they are storing into the atmosphere, where it mingles with greenhouse gases from other sources and contributes to global warming accordingly” (Moss and Scheer 1). There is also a physical impact of deforestation. When forests are removed the soil is disturbed and loose, so when a large rainstorm comes through the area all of the loose soil is washed away. This causes major landslides and mudslides. This can damage homes, roadways, business, and endanger life. There is a major need to change the world’s dependency on wood and land before it is too
„X Encourage household water security by making enough water of adequate quality available year-round to ensure family survival, health and productivity, without compromising the integrity of the environment.