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Climate change and the impact of human activity on land degradation. Soils are less fertile.
About 25% of the world's land has a high degree of desertification, a serious problem with potentially devastating consequences for the population, crossing borders, political and administrative affairs of countries, ecological zones and its consequences are reflected in an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, in the loss of ecosystem services and in the reduction of productivity in agricultural areas, reports the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. 39; agriculture. Agriculture (FAO), in its portal www.fao.org/ecuador.
In the case of Ecuador, the same document indicates that the degradation responds to a process of transformation of areas with natural vegetation into crops, pasture and other uses, which seriously affects ecosystems. Likewise, fertile soils and natural vegetation cover have been lost, partly because of poor agricultural practices, such as excessive use of chemicals, deforestation, intensive monocultures, lack of crop rotation. This generates economic damage for the sector. "
Manabí, the most deforested
According to data generated by the Ministry of the Environment and FAO, losses related to land degradation amount to 7.6% of the value At the provincial level, Manabí has lost most of the land due to degradation, followed by El Oro, Imbabura, Loja and Guayas.
According to FAO, this impact also has repercussions. on decreasing water sources, increasing vulnerability to climatic events in agriculture and, consequently, on food security, diminishing opportunities for population development
adds that the main causes of degradation in the country are deforestation and the removal of vegetation and grazing practices caused by excessive livestock load, which affects the productivity of the soil.Add unplanned urbanization
For experts in the field, says FAO, the lack of planning and land-use planning has influenced the disorderly growth of cities, jeopardizing land with high agricultural potential, which translates into by a loss of fertile land, low production volumes and consequently a decrease in the supply of food for consumers.
Initiatives
The country has proposed various initiatives to combat desertification and drought, such as the implementation of the project "Support to decision-making for the integration and expansion of sustainable land use management "(DS-SLM), with the support of FAO and funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which helped to carry out the first national badessment of land degradation, with the proposal of suggestions to be taken into account in the processes of territorial planning and financing systems.
The previous initiative is supported by projects, such as the promotion of inter-institutional and cross-sectoral dialogue and technical badistance in policy formulation and decision-making to combat, halt and reverse degradation
There is also the Climate-Smar project t Livestock (GCI), performed in seven provinces of Ecuador.
The goal is to reduce land degradation, increase the capacity for adaptation and mitigation of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) ); through the implementation of cross-sectoral policies and sustainable livestock techniques.
This approach, promoted by FAO, is illustrated in the document which aims to improve the capacity of agricultural systems to provide support and ensure food security. the inclemency of climatic variations and generate a maximization of economic benefits. (CM)
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