Population Growth and Sustainable Land Management in India

Most of the developing countries including India face a dilemma problem of high population growth creating poverty, food crisis and land degradation at the same time the resources like land, water, nutrients and energy are limited in supply. These countries are primarily based upon agriculture and hence a sustainable long-term agricultural growth can only alleviate poverty. Most of the population is engaged in agriculture. Again land which is fixed in supply by nature is the primary input for agricultural production. The poor farmers want to maximize their income earned from this sector in the short-run. But the societal problem is to maintain long-term benefit and biodiversity in flora and fauna and maintain the quality, productivity and stability not only for the present but also for the future generations. Land degradation is a global issue of the 21st century and by the year 2050 it may create a serious threat to food production, adverse impact on agronomic productivity, the environmental pollution, food security and quality of life. Hence a proper planning and management of the available land resource is necessary to ensure maintenance of their production potential, quality and diversity. The health and wealth depends primarily upon the quality of land. Hence the limited scarce land resource must be used in a socially acceptable eco-friendly manner. The Sustainable Land Management (SLM) may solve the crucial problem. Keywords: Food crisis, GHGs, degradation, green revolution, pollution, sustainabl