Land Degradation in the Dominican Republic Deforestation in the Dominican Republic has involved burning trees to remove them from the land as opposed to using methods that are more sustainable (Alscher, 2011, p. 14). It is activities like those that had many unexpected damaging effects in the Dominican Republic. One of those effects was land degradation. Land degradation occurs when the land is extremely damaged due to human activity. Damaging the land decreases its productivity and can have very harmful effects (Blaikie and Brookfield, 1987, p. 25). Due to deforestation, the land has been subjected to the loss of trees, soil erosion, reduction of farmable land, damage to drainage systems, and “erosion of soil into the sea” (Alscher, 2011, …show more content…
The government allowed much of these unsustainable activities to occur without understanding the large scope of consequences it has. With land degradation, the country will not be able to “feed its population, provide water, develop the tourism industry, and diminish vulnerability to natural hazards”. Without the political will of the government, none of these issues can be addressed or minimized. The government needs to involve its efforts and funds to develop land use planning and to protect its resources in order to protect its future generations and the future of the country (Castro, Mataya, and Stark, 2007, p. …show more content…
Those reasons include people not having access to water, the quality of the water not being sanitized, or the water being contaminated. Along with a lack of land use planning, excessive irrigation, and the presence of salt water, deforestation has also contributed to the problem of water scarcity in the country. Deforestation causes the rivers to dry up, thus creating a water shortage (Castro, Mataya, and Stark, 2007, p. 71).
Although the government of the Dominican Republic has been working on providing access to water to its population, they have not made sufficient progress. For example, the government has yet to invest in “the construction of water delivery systems”. The government also fails to enforce regulation that can protect the quality of water it delivers to the population (Castro, Mataya, and Stark, 2007, p.
Mountain ranges divide the Dominican Republic into three regions, Northern, Central, and Southwestern. There are seven major drainage b...
Environment - current issues: sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations
Pina, P. (2011 , March ). Addressing water Crisis in Mexico City. Retrieved 2014, from SYPA: http://watersecurityinitiative.seas.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Patricia%20PINA%20SYPA%20on%20Mexico%20City%20Water_0.pdf
By definition, deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses. Such as the conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, and urban use. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has reported that an estimated 18 million acres of forest are lost each year and about half of the world's tropical forests have been cleared. Also, according to Bastien Sachet, “…tropical deforestation is responsible for approximately 20% of world greenhouse gas emission…Every year, 13 million hectares of the world’...
The total area of Mexico’s surface is slightly less than 2 million km2 (UNESCO 2006). The population is about 103 million people (Castro and Heller 2009). In the last two decades, as the population of the country has been growing intensively, the demand of water also dramatically increased. According to Armentia and Cisneros, the number of people who don’t have an access to water supply is about 11 million, almost 11% of Mexico’s population (Castro and Heller 2009). But there are far more people who don’t have an access to safe water. Moreover this situation with lack of water is exacerbated by malfunction of sewer systems. But to understand the causes of scarcity of water in Mexico and to evaluate the policy of the government in this sector, it needs to be observed thoroughly.
One of the most significant challenges to Panama’s environment today is deforestation. Forest area has decreased from 45.6% in 1995 to 38.6% ...
...management than scarcity of that resource. In some cases up to 50% water in urban areas, and 60% of the water used for agriculture is wasted through evaporation and loss. Logging and land conversion to yield to the demands of human beings have been reduced to half the world's forests, which has increased soil erosion and water scarcity.
Imagine yourself as a businessperson on a trip to the island of Hispaniola to check on how production is faring. You land in Santo Domingo to transfer to a short commuter flight to Port-au-Prince. During the flight, you gaze outside your window to admire the breathtaking view of the Sierra de Baoruco, with its luscious forests. As the plane approaches the Haiti-Dominican Republic border, you notice that the land has been completely denuded of trees directly on the other side of the border, creating a clear demarcation between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Now is a critical time to address the issue of deforestation. Around the world forests are logged for timber and paper pulp. South America contains a large amount of mahogany and rosewood—highly coveted types of wood—within the Amazon basin. Forests are also cleared to make room for the planting of cash crops, such as coffee and soy, as well as livestock farms. After only a few years, overuse of these lands for crops typically causes soil erosion that quickly turns deforested regions into wastelands. Deforestation is responsible for 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than all emissions all motorized transportation added together. The destruction of forests does not just threaten our climate; it threatens the livelihoods of billions of people that rely on forests for food and economic activities. The modern world relies on rainforests more than for the well-known reason. People receive many of their fruits and medicines from plant species that survive solely within the heart of a rainforest. Let’s not forget that forests also serve as habitats to wildlife a...
People are deforesting the planet for thousands of years, primarily to clear land for crops or stock. though tropical forests square measure for the most part confined to developing countries, they square measuren’t simply meeting native or national needs; economic economic process means the wants and desires of the worldwide population are bearing down on them also. Direct causes of deforestation square measure agricultural growth, wood extraction (e.g., work or wood harvest for domestic fuel or charcoal), and infrastructure growth like road building and urbanization. seldom is there one direct cause for deforestation. Most often, multiple processes work at the same time or consecutive to cause deforestation.The single biggest direct cause of tropical deforestation is conversion to cropland and pasture, mostly for subsistence, which is growing crops or raising livestock to meet daily needs. The conversion to agricultural land usually results from multiple direct factors. For example, countries build roads into remote areas to improve overland transportation of goods. The road development itself causes a limited amount of deforestation. But roads also provide entry to previously inaccessible—and often unclaimed—land. Logging, both legal and illegal, often follows road expansion (and in some cases is the reason for the road expansion). When loggers have harvested an area’s valuable timber, they move on. The roads and the logged areas become a magnet for settlers—farmers and ranchers who slash and burn the remaining forest for cropland or cattle pasture, completing the deforestation chain that began with road building. In other cases, forests that have been degraded by logging become fire-prone and are eventually deforested by repea...
Many people count on the production of deforestation to bring in a consistent income and livelihood. There is a heavy reliance on the production of deforestation. “Trees can be very valuable. In North America, they are used for landscaping, building material, maple syrup production, and pulp wood for paper products. In the more tropical regions, the wood products may be cut down for fuel, cleared for farmland, or exported, such as teak or mahogany” (Salata, 2015). In fact, according to Combes, Motel, Minea, & Villieu, in countries that are underdeveloped this is a reliable and significant source for government revenue (n.d.). Without this profit generated from cutting the down trees, these countries may not be able to obtain sustainability, due to the lack of financial funds. Thus, by not being able to proceed with infrastructure to areas such as these, most communities will not be able to maintain effective living
The way humans are using water is not sustainable. Water aquifers underground are being dried up daily. Once an aquifer reaches a certain low, it may or may not be able to come back. So, basically, water is being taken out of aquifers at a faster rate than which it can replenish itself (Sin aqua non; Water). Although, a lot of water that comes from aquifers is used for drinking, most of the water being used is for irrigation of crops. The water used for irrigation has created great gains for the agriculture and food industry. This water has been used to create food security. However, it is being threatened by other businesses that use it for industrial purposes (Hanjra). Once these aquifers and the other sources of water dry up, there will be no more accessible water. Not knowing when the water levels become too low is a major issue; however, if they are being used resourcefully, there should not be a reason to agonize over the levels. The Economist explains that diets are one of the main causes for water scarcity.
70% of this demand derives from agriculture which shows the influence of water on food supply globally as well as not just drinking water (Sawin “Water Scarcity could overwhelm the Next Generation”). But increasing water use is not just a matter of the greater number of people needing it to drink and eat; it also comes from pollution and misuse of water supplies, by either dumping or runoff of bacteria or chemicals into water. This also “causes other pollutions as well such as soil and air pollution, accelerating wetland damage and human-caused global warming” (Smith and Thomassey 25). According to a UN report, recent estimates suggest that climate change will account for about 20 percent of the increase in global water scarcity in coming decades. One of the main causes of water scarcity is water mismanagement worldwide.
One of these causes is the overpopulation occurring in Jounieh. This shocked overpopulation led to a great increase demand for food which has been becoming more and more limited since, as we all know, no one can live without eating. So the amount of food is being reduced gradually. And as a result, food unsustainability and food unbalance have remained the major problems in that city causing starvation, poverty and malnutrition of lots of citizens. Overpopulation also affects the amount of water provided. Once a large number of people use water for consumption, agriculture, sanitation, and for many other cases, there will be definitely a water shortage, a lack of water availability. And as a consequence, some citizens died the previous years from thirstiness and others were obliged to not have as many showers as they used to. Thereafter, many diseases began spreading between the citizens. In addition, overpopulation with a random civil organization, as in Jounieh, has negative effects related to our health since the trees, the carbon dioxide purifiers, are being cut and negative effects related to our financial situations as well, since there was a significant rising in the housing cost. And never forget the ...
People have been deforesting the Earth for thousands of years, primarily to clear land for crops or livestock. Although tropical forests are largely confined to developing countries, they aren’t just meeting local or national needs; economic globalization means that the needs and wants of the global population are bearing down on them as well. Direct causes of deforestation are agricultural expansion, wood extraction (e.g., logging or wood harvest for domestic fuel or charcoal), and infrastructure expansion such as road building and urbanization. Rarely is there a single direct cause for deforestation. Most often, multiple processes work simultaneously or sequentially to cause deforestation.