EO Based Study On Desertification And Poverty Nexus
- Paper number
IAC-07-B1.5.06
- Author
Dr. J.R. Sharma, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India
- Coauthor
Dr. V. Jayaraman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India
- Coauthor
Dr. Bera AK, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Income and ecological poverty often exist together especially in the developing countries. The efforts on poverty estimates normally do not take into account their ecological correlates. Their nexus goes unnoticed in several short-term poverty alleviation related interventions. Desertification presents one such example where ecological support to natural resources based livelihoods is marginal and limited. Increasingly population pressure on fixed land resources in the desert terrain leads to division and sub-division of land holdings; puts pressure beyond the carrying capacity of already stressed marginal resources; contributes to stronger desertification and poverty nexus. Standard methods available for measurement of desertification processes are expensive and time consuming whereas it has been demonstrated that satellite based remote sensing data offer a considerable potential. Present study was carried out in Pali block, Rajasthan state, India comprising of 82 villages using IRS P6 LISS IV data of 2005 and IRS 1C/1D LISS III data of 2000 - 01. Methodology included identification of degradation processes active in each parcel of land based on image signatures and ground truth whereas severity of those processes was assessed based on ground truth including soil sample analysis. Various socio-economic parameters such as population of marginalized community viz., scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, literates, illiterates, marginal workers etc., which indicate poverty, were considered for analysis besides Village-wise below Poverty Line (BPL) population. The null hypothesis assumed that degraded land and poverty-linked parameters are independent of each other. Possible linkages between degraded areas and poverty-linked parameters were studied using statistical procedures and GIS. The analysis of desertification in relation to poverty estimates highlights significant correlation between degraded areas and few socio-economic parameters like illiterate, scheduled caste and marginal worker population. Association observed between degraded areas and BPL population was statistically significant. The paper describes various dimensions of poverty in relation to non-sustainable land management, reducing productivity and fragmentations of land holdings. It also captures how poor farmers didn’t adopt conservation measures and excessive animal population led to degradation the grazing lands and ultimately desertification.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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