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Soil Conservation Issues in India

Author

Listed:
  • Ranjan Bhattacharyya

    (ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India)

  • Birendra Nath Ghosh

    (ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun 248195, India)

  • Pradeep Dogra

    (ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun 248195, India)

  • Prasanta Kumar Mishra

    (ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun 248195, India)

  • Priyabrata Santra

    (ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur Rajasthan 342003, India)

  • Suresh Kumar

    (ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur Rajasthan 342003, India)

  • Michael Augustine Fullen

    (Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK)

  • Uttam Kumar Mandal

    (ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Canning Town, West Bengal 743 329, India)

  • Kokkuvayil Sankaranarayanan Anil

    (ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Bangalore Regional Center, Bangalore 560024, India)

  • Manickam Lalitha

    (ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Bangalore Regional Center, Bangalore 560024, India)

  • Dibyendu Sarkar

    (Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal 741252, India)

  • Dibyendu Mukhopadhyay

    (Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch Behar 736165, India)

  • Krishnendu Das

    (National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Kolkata Regional Centre, Kolkata 700091, India)

  • Madan Pal

    (ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India)

  • Rajbir Yadav

    (ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India)

  • Ved Prakash Chaudhary

    (ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming System Research, Modipuram 250110, India)

  • Brajendra Parmar

    (ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad 500030, India)

Abstract

Despite years of study and substantial investment in remediation and prevention, soil erosion continues to be a major environmental problem with regard to land use in India and elsewhere around the world. Furthermore, changing climate and/or weather patterns are exacerbating the problem. Our objective was to review past and current soil conservation programmes in India to better understand how production-, environmental-, social-, economic- and policy-related issues have affected soil and water conservation and the incentives needed to address the most critical problems. We found that to achieve success in soil and water conservation policies, institutions and operations must be co-ordinated using a holistic approach. Watershed programmes have been shown to be one of the most effective strategies for bringing socio-economic change to different parts of India. Within both dryland and rainfed areas, watershed management has quietly revolutionized agriculture by aligning various sectors through technological soil and water conservation interventions and land-use diversification. Significant results associated with various watershed-scale soil and water conservation programmes and interventions that were effective for reducing land degradation and improving productivity in different parts of the country are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Ranjan Bhattacharyya & Birendra Nath Ghosh & Pradeep Dogra & Prasanta Kumar Mishra & Priyabrata Santra & Suresh Kumar & Michael Augustine Fullen & Uttam Kumar Mandal & Kokkuvayil Sankaranarayanan Anil, 2016. "Soil Conservation Issues in India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-37, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:6:p:565-:d:72282
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Bin Huang & Zaijian Yuan & Mingguo Zheng & Yishan Liao & Kim Loi Nguyen & Thi Hong Nguyen & Samran Sombatpanit & Dingqiang Li, 2022. "Soil and Water Conservation Techniques in Tropical and Subtropical Asia: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-19, April.
    2. Anantha, K.H. & Garg, Kaushal K. & Barron, Jennie & Dixit, Sreenath & Venkataradha, A. & Singh, Ramesh & Whitbread, Anthony M., 2021. "Impact of best management practices on sustainable crop production and climate resilience in smallholder farming systems of South Asia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).

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