Land Degradation and Management in Bangladesh

1. Presented by
Md. Rased Hasan Sojib
Roll : 23221333
Registration No: 55969

2. “Land degradation is any reduction or loss in the biological or economic
productive capacity of the land resources. Natural processes play a part, but
humans cause most of the damage. Often, the process of degradation is
inextricably linked to loss of biodiversity and the impacts of climate change”

3. Due to geographical context,
Bangladesh's coastline and riparian
communities are extremely
vulnerable to the effects of climate-
induced hazards such as riverbank
erosion, floods, cyclones, arsenic
contamination, waterlogging, and
salinity intrusion (Azad et al., 2022)

5. • UNCCD: The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
• The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) Signed the convention(UNCCD) in 1994 and ratified in
January 1996.
• The convention came into force 1997.
Activities:
 Several Researches conducted
Adaptation options piloted
Implementation

6. Key good practices and innovations in Bangladesh relating to UNCCD are:
Mulching to address soil degradation
Drip Irrigation
Land Zoning
Rain Water Harvesting

7. • WOCAT is a global network on Sustainable Land Management (SLM)
that promotes the documentation, sharing and use of knowledge to support
adaptation, innovation and decision-making in SLM.
• Good Practices
Land Degradation
Climate change and
Biodiversity loss

8.  The National Action Programme for combating Desertification is a national documents owned by the
people ( DoE and Forest,2005)
 National Action Programme (NAP) identifies the factors contributing to the process of desertification in
Bangladesh and suggests measures and strategy, using an integrated and coordinated bottom-up approach to
combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought.
The main programme areas proposed to address desertification are clustered under the following eight
broad themes
Theme 1. Understanding the desertification scenario
Theme 2. Promotion of awareness and capacity building
Theme 3. Institutional Arrangements
Theme 4. Reclamation and rehabilitation of degraded land to promote sustainable utilizations of land resources
Theme 5. Land degradation/desertification mitigation and Poverty Alleviation Strategies
Theme 6. Promotion of active participation of communities in land management programmes
Theme 7. Judicious location of construction sites and physical infrastructure.
Theme 8. Research and technology development

9. Conservation Agriculture is a farming system that promotes minimum soil disturbance (i.e. no
tillage), maintenance of a permanent soil cover, and diversification of plant species. It enhances
biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface, which contribute to
increased water and nutrient use efficiency and to improved and sustained crop production.
Three principles of Conservation Agriculture:
I.Minimum mechanical soil disturbance (i.e. no tillage) through direct seed and/or
fertilizer placement.
Permanent soil organic cover (at least 30 percent) with crop residues and/or cover
crops.
Species diversification through varied crop sequences and associations involving at
least three different crops.

10. Sustainable land management (SLM) refers to practices and technologies that aim to
integrate the management of land, water, and other environmental resources to meet human
needs while ensuring long-term sustainability, ecosystem services, biodiversity, and
livelihoods.
Conservation tillage
Cover Cropping
Crop Rotation
It can improve soil health by reducing erosion, increasing organic matter, and enhancing
soil Structure
Sustainable land management practices such as

11. Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) is a target and concept that focuses on achieving a
balance between the amount of land being degraded and the amount of land being
restored. The overarching goal is to ensure that, on a global scale, the quantity and quality
of land resources remain stable or improve over time. This concept is particularly relevant
in the context of addressing desertification, land degradation, and drought, and it is part of
international efforts to promote sustainable land management.
National LDN targets for Bangladesh are given below:
• Target-1: To improve soil fertility and Carbon stock in 2000 km2 of cropland area.
• Target-2: To reduce land use/cover conversion in 600 km2 of forest area.
• Target-3: To reduce waterlogging in 600 km2 area.
• Target-4: To reduce soil erosion in hilly areas in 600 km2 area.
• Target-5: To protect non-saline land areas from salinity intrusion in 120 km2 in the coastal
zone areas.
• Target-6: To reduce riverbank erosion 100ha/year covering 100 km2 area.

12. Existing laws and policies are :
1. Land Use Policy
2. Agriculture Policy 1999
3. Integrated Pest Management
4. Integrated Plant Nutrient System(IPNS)
There are other national policies and measures that have indirect positive impacts on combating land
degradation. The noteworthy policies are:
 National Environment Policy
National Forest Policy, 1994
 National Environment Conservation Act, 1995
 Environment Conservation Rules, 1997
 National Conservation Strategies
 Strategic Plan for National Agriculture

13. Bangladesh grapples with the urgent and complex challenge of land degradation, stemming
from human-induced and natural factors such as deforestation, unsustainable agriculture,
urbanization, and climate change. Despite these threats, the nation has proactively
responded with initiatives like the National Land Use Policy, showcasing a commitment to
sustainable land management. Local communities have played a crucial role in this effort,
employing community-based conservation practices. Challenges persist, including limited
resources and population pressure, underscoring the need for continued progress, public
awareness, and the integration of afforestation, sustainable agriculture, and technology
for resilient land management.

14. References
• IPCC, 2019: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change and Land:
an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land
degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and
greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems [P.R. Shukla, J. Skea, E.
Calvo Buendia, V. Masson-Delmotte, H.- O. Pörtner, D. C. Roberts, P.
Zhai, R. Slade, S. Connors, R. van Diemen, M. Ferrat, E. Haughey, S.
Luz, S. Neogi, M. Pathak, J. Petzold, J. Portugal Pereira, P. Vyas, E.
Huntley, K. Kissick, M. Belkacemi, J. Malley, (eds.)].
• Hasan, M.K. and Alam, A.A., 2006. Land degradation situation
in Bangladesh and role of agroforestry. Journal of Agriculture &
Rural Development, 4(1), pp.19-25.