Desertification

Desertification 

It is a type of land degradation  in which a relatively dry land becomes increasingly arid , typically losing  its bodies of water as well as  vegetation and wildlife.

Causes : 

Number of factors which work individually or in combination causing desertification. The immediate cause is the removal of most vegetation. This is driven by a number of factors such as:

• Drought
• Climatic shifts
• Tillage for agriculture
• Overgrazing
• Deforestation for fuel or construction materials

Role of vegetation, livestock and wildlife in preventing desertification

• Vegetation plays a vital role in determining the biological composition of the soil. As per studies, the rate of erosion and runoff decreases exponentially with increased vegetation cover.
• Unprotected, dry soil surfaces blow away with the wind or are washed away by flash floods, leaving infertile lower soil layers that bake in the sun and become an unproductive hardpan.
• Movement and migration of large herds of livestock and wildlife has an integral role in the preservation of vegetation and soil fertilization, and that the removal of livestock and wildlife (largely by human influence) has been the main driver of increasing desertification.

India’s over one-fourth land hit by desertification : Environment Min

• Report submitted by Env Min to UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
  Report : 

1. India which has a total geographic area of 328 million hectares is grappling with Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought (DLDD) on 7,91,475 sq km of the territory covering almost all states and union territories of the country.
2. The total area undergoing the process of land degradation in the country is estimated at 105.48 million hectares, which forms 32.07% of India’s total land.
3. Major challenges remain in the area of land use planning, management of waste and degraded land, and efficient use of water resources.

• A number of measures have been taken through different channels like Integrated Watershed Management Programme, National Rural Drinking Water Programme, MNREGA, National Rural Livelihood Mission, Green India Mission to address the problem.

Fauna

1. The Great Indian Bustard, one of the endangered flying bird species in the world, will soon be tracked by satellite by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to understand the movement of this rare bird and its preferred habitat,Gujarat and Rajasthan.Great Indian bustard is amongst one of the largest flying bird species found in the world today. It can easily be distinguished by its black crown on the forehead contrasting with the pale neck and head.The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognised it as critically endangered in 2011.Distinguishable by its brownish body and wings marked with black, brown and grey, the Great Indian Bustard is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972, and its international trade is prohibited.The Rajasthan government recently launched its own project Great Indian Bustard, at a cost of over Rs. 12 crore, to identify and provide secure breeding enclosures, in a bid to arrest its decreasing population.

News : 17 June 2013

1. Britain spied on foreign politicians and officials participating in two G20 meetings in London in 2009 by using “ground-breaking” intelligence capabilities to get an edge during the high-stakes financial talks , according to documents uncovered by U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden and obtained by the Guardian.
2. India’s trade deficit widened to a seven month high of $20.1 billion in May as gold imports continue to surge while exports declined by over a per cent
3. Search engine giant Google on Monday launched a new ad format ‘Product Listing Ads’ in India to provide users information like images, price and brands of products, which will help people shop better both online and offline.
4. The Union government should withdraw the Insurance Bill that envisaged enhancement of foreign direct investment in the insurance sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent, the All India Insurance Corporation Employees Association (AIIEA) has demanded.
5. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on Friday deferred a decision on the Rs. 2,000-crore Jet-Etihad deal and sought clarity on control and ownership.
6. The Great Indian Bustard, one of the critically endangered flying bird species in the world, will soon be tracked by satellite by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to understand the movement of this rare bird and its preferred habitat,primarily in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
7. China’s Tianhe 2 – worlds fastest computer.Speed : 33.86 petaflops (1000 trillion calculations) per second on a benchmarking test.Second being in US : TITAN having speed of 17.59 petaflops per second.
8.  The Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Ethiopia met in Addis Ababa on Monday in the hope of defusing tensions over a huge dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile River.Egypt and Ethiopia began a sharp exchange of words after Ethiopia last month started to divert Nile waters as part of the construction of its massive $4.2 billion hydro-electric project dubbed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
9. Iranian president-elect Hassan Rouhani will take office in Aug 2013.
10. The single-seater Solar Impulse plane, attempting a record-breaking trip across the U.S., made a smooth landing in Washington.The Swiss-made 63-meter-wide aircraft set down at Dulles International Airport.