Soil erosion has significant on-site and off-site impacts. On-site, it causes (1) losses of water, fertilizers, and pesticides for farmers, reducing immediate production by 2-50% and long-term productivity over time; (2) loss of arable land at rates up to 10 million hectares per year globally. Off-site, soil erosion (1) deteriorates water quality through pollution, silting, and higher drinking water costs, (2) causes flooding through mud flows and damaged infrastructure, and (3) increases peak river flows that can destroy bridges and structures.

2. On-site & Off site impact of soil erosion
by
Muhammad Usman
BAGF14E256

3. On-site losses in eroded areas:
 Affecting farmers:
1. Losses of water, fertilizers and pesticides
2. Immediate production loss
- in regional terms: 2 to 10%:
compensation possible through inputs
- in local terms: 2 to 50%
individual disaster = loss of profit margin
Food and Agriculture organization of united nation

4. Cont..
3. Loss of arable land
- in world terms: 7 to 10 million ha per
year
- in regional terms: 2 to 5%
- in individual farm terms: as much as 20
to 100%
- It would take 200 years to destroy all
arable land
Food and Agriculture organization of united nation

5. Cont..
4. Long-term productivity loss = SOIL
MEMORY
- Reduced depth of topsoil
- Reduced water and nutrient storage
- Reduced effectiveness of rain and inputs
- Reduced economic viability = soil
depletion
Food and Agriculture organization of united nation

6. Off-site impacts:
 Affecting townspeople:
1. Deterioration in water quality:
pollution of rivers, death of fish, silting
up of reservoirs
2. Increase in suspended load (SL)
higher costs for drinking water
Food and Agriculture organization of united nation

7. Cont..
3. Flooding of inhabited areas:
mud flows, sanded up ditches
4. Rise in peak flows of rivers:
destruction of structural works, bridges,
etc.
5. Eutrofication
Food and Agriculture organization of united nation

8. Cont…..
 Water erosion’s main off-site effect is the
movement of sediments and agriculture
pollutants into watercourses. This can
lead to the silting-up of dams, disruption
of the ecosystems of lakes, and
contamination of drinking water . In some
cases increase downstream flooding may
also occur due to the reduce capacity of
eroded soil to absorb water.
Food and Agriculture organization of united nation