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AGRICULTURAL AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Agricultural practices are often in conflict with the
environment. Land has to be cleared to make way
for farming, and chemicals such as fertilizers are
used. Agriculture intensification can lead to mismanagement
of inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides
and water resulting in serious environmental problems
including waterlogging and salinisation of irrigated
land, chemical contamination of water and
poisoning of various species within the ecosystem.
The intensification of agricultural activities has
increased demand for chemicals to either maintain
or increase levels of production. Fertilisers are commonly
used in the basin’s agriculture. Excessive use
contributes to groundwater pollution. Aerial spraying
for pest control is a major source of air pollution
that has affected wildlife, fish and people. One
worrying factor is that some of the basin countries
still import chemicals that are either banned or
severely restricted for health or environmental reasons.
These include DDT.
The basin has over the years experienced intensification
of agriculture as more people are laid off
conventional work and resort to farming. In urban
centres, land has been converted into agricultural
production due to economic hardships that have
forced people to grow their own food. Most of the
urban cultivation is carried out in unsuitable sites
including riverbanks and this has led to soil erosion
and subsequent siltation.
Crop cultivation is not the only contributor to
land degradation. Cattle grazing has caused massive
degradation particularly in years when the region
experienced drought.
Farming has had the following effects:
- conversion of primary forests to agriculture;
- loss of biodiversity;
- climate change;
- exposure of fragile soils;
- soil erosion and lowland flooding; and
- degradation of watershed protection areas.
High population densities where there have
been historical land distribution imbalances have
resulted in high rates of soil erosion, deforestation,
land fragmentation in uneconomic units, low productivity,
overstocking and overgrazing.
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