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Rehabilitation of degraded land in a Himalayan Watershed (Part of the PARDP Watershed Project), 1989 - 2004
Hans Schreier and Sandra Brown |
The
Jhikhu Khola Watershed is one of the most intensively
used Middle Mountain Watershed in the world, and
agricultural intensification is now at a point where
farmers typically grow 3 crops per year on a continuing
basisAnnual population growth has remained above 2.5%
over the past 10 years. The impact of this agricultural
intensification is now clearly visible during the dry
season when water shortages for both human consumption
and agriculture are widespread. Cultivation of steeply
sloping terrain inevitably leads to soil erosion and
about 7% of the watershed was classified as being in a
very advanced state of land degradation. Most of the
degradation occurred on common grazing land located
primarily on red soils. These sites contribute about 40%
of the annual sediment load to the river and irrigation
system. It is also the only area in the watershed that
is no longer used for biomass production. The aim of the
presentation is to show how, through an
interdisciplinary approach, these areas can be
rehabilitated so as to reduce the sediment load and at
the same time generate useful biomass that can
contribute to improving food security and livelihood.
• Can the sediment contribution to the rivers and
irrigation system from these degraded sites be reduced
and can the degraded soils be returned to productive use
in a relatively short time with minimal financial
investment?
• What are the best rehabilitation methods and what kind
of biomass production is possible that reduces the
erosion problem and at the same time produces and
sustains biomass products that are of use to the local
residents.
• Can the successful rehabilitation methods developed at
a demonstration site be expanded and transferred to
other degraded sites in the newly formed community
forests in the watershed?
• What are the key factors that need to be considered in
efforts to scale up the rehabilitation program to the
entire watershed? |
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