Western Ghat Regions (WGR)are witnessing a alarming rate of Soil erosion: IIT-Bombay study | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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    Western Ghat Regions (WGR)are witnessing a alarming rate of Soil erosion: IIT-Bombay study

    Posted 28 Mar 2024

    Updated 30 Mar 2024

    2 min read

    • Study was conducted between 1990 and 2020 using data from LANDSAT-8, rainfall records etc.

     

    • Key findings:
      • Portions of WGR in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat registered 121% and 119% increase in soil erosion respectively. 
      • Across whole of WGR, the increase in erosion rate was 94%. 
      • In absolute terms, Maharashtra had the highest 79 ton per hectare per year soil loss in 2020, while Kerala had the lowest loss.

     

    • Causes identified for erosion: Increasing rainfall erosivity factor (rainfall's potential to cause soil erosion), steep slopes and high rainfall, climate change and unsustainable land use, cultivation of tea, coffee etc. 

     

    • Concerns: Threat to biological diversity, agricultural productivity, water quality across WGs.

     

    • Protection measures: 
      • Gadgil committee and Dr. K. Kasturirangan committee to assess WG’s ecology.
      • Western Ghats Natural Heritage Management Committee under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
      • Number of protected areas, like Tiger Reserves, National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, etc.

     

    • About Western Ghats 
      • About 1,600 km long, they are a chain of mountains running parallel to India’s western coast.
      • Spread across six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

     

    Significance of WGs:

    • It is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of 36 biodiversity hotspots on Earth.
    • Recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ . 
    • Best representatives of non-equatorial tropical evergreen forests.
    • Acts as barrier to eastward moving clouds during monsoon. 
    • Tags :
    • Western Ghats
    • Soil Erosion
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