Environmental consequences of land degradation in coastal drainage basins of north Queensland, Australia: Influence of farming practices

Land degradation, a reduction in the productive capacity of land, is a process of increasing concern in the challenge to maintain and enhance global food production. It is an especially critical problem in developing countries faced with the need to increase food availability for growing populations. Billions of dollars are invested in agricultural research and development aimed at increasing the food supply. At the same time, land degradation threatens to reduce production in large areas of agricultural land. While estimates of the magnitude of the problem vary widely (see WCED 1987; WRI/IIED 1988; and Lal and Stewart 1990 for recent reviews), there is a growing consensus that land degradation is a serious and complex problem that merits increased attention from both natural and social scientists. A recent review of this topic by Blaikie and Brookfield (1987) highlights the role of the social sciences in studying land degradation problems. According to these authors, the term “land degradation” refers to a reduction in the actual or potential uses of land due to human activities (1987: 1). The costs of land degradation (“the product of work on degraded lands is less than that on the same land without degradation”) make it a serious social problem for millions of farmers around the world and thus a priority for social science inquiry. A central actor for understanding the causes and consequences of land degradation is the land manager—most often the farmer—who makes the landuse decisions for particular plots of land. Social science has a key role in understanding this process of decision making, including the social and ecological contexts in which decisions are carried out. Anthropology’s emphasis on working with peasants, small farmers, and indigenous people holds out the promise for important empirical and theoretical contributions in understanding land degradation. A human ecology approach that focuses on the adaptive strategies of individuals and groups and the environmental consequences of these behaviors seems particularly well placed to contribute to this topic.

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Land degradation: Multiple environmental consequences and routes to neutrality

Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health ◽

10.1016/j.coesh.2018.07.002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 79-86 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Fernando António Leal Pacheco ◽

Luís Filipe Sanches Fernandes ◽

Renato Farias Valle Junior ◽

Carlos Alberto Valera ◽

Teresa Cristina Tarlé Pissarra

Keyword(s):

Land Degradation ◽

Environmental Consequences

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BERTANI DIANTARA HIMPITAN TAMBANG (Belajar dari Petani Kutai Kartanegara)

BHUMI Jurnal Agraria dan Pertanahan ◽

10.31292/jb.v2i1.30 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 31

Author(s):

M Nazir Salim

Keyword(s):

Observational Study ◽

Social Structure ◽

Land Degradation ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Mining Area ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Farming Practices ◽

Mining Operations ◽

East Kalimantan ◽

Farming Village

Abstract: Kutai Kartanegara (Kukar) is an area with quite extensive mining concession. However, Kukar is also the only district in East Kalimantan which experienced rice surplus. Although the amount of rice production is not significant, this condition should be appreciated, because in fact, the official releases shows its surplus is distinguish, compare to other district in East Kalimantan. Problems arise when massive mining operations occurred in those region. Some areas suffered real damage, especially agricultural land around the mining area. Damage is no longer a threat, but it has occurred and persisted. This study try to picture Kukar in the context of farming practices in the crush of mining Activities. There are three villages as observational study area, which are, Jembayan Dalam, Sedulang, and Sarinadi. The author’s findings show that in the three villages, it is interesting to observe and to describe how exactly the problem of agricultural land degradation surrounding the mining existed, and how the community respond to this condition. Jembayan Dalam village and Sedulang suffer severe damages, even the land can no longer being used for farming. However, in Sarinadi, the author found interesting findings since as a farming village, its system and social structure which was built by the community is able to shield themselves from the onslaught of the mining financiers. Keywords: Kutai Kartanegara, agriculture land, miningIntisari: Kutai Kartanegara (Kukar) adalah sebuah wilayah dengan konsesi pertambangannya cukup luas, akan tetapi, Kukar juga satu-satunya kabupaten di Kalimantan Timur yang mengalami surplus beras. Walaupun tidak terlalu besar namun harus diapresiasi, karena faktanya, rilis angka-angka resmi pemerintah menunjukkan itu. Persoalannya, dengan masifnya operasi pertambangan, beberapa wilayah mengalami kerusakan yang cukup serius, khususnya lahan pertanian sekitar pertambangan. Kerusakan bukan lagi ancaman, namun sudah terjadi. Kajian ini akan mencoba melihat Kukar dalam konteks bertani dalam himpitan tambang. Ada tiga desa yang menjadi observasi kajian yakni Desa Jembayan Dalam, Sedulang, dan Sarinadi. Temuan penulis dalam tiga desa ini cukup menarik untuk melihat dan menggambarkan bagaimana sebenarnya persoalan kerusakan lahan pertanian sekitar pertambangan, baik problem maupun respons masyarakat. Desa Jembayan Dalam dan Sedulang mengalami kerusakan yang cukup parah, bahkan lahannya tidak bisa digunakan untuk bertani. Namun di luar itu, Sarinadi sebagai sebuah desa pertanian cukup menarik untuk dilihat karena sistem dan struktur sosial yang dibangun oleh masyarakat mampu membentengi diri dari serbuan para pemodal tambang.

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