Dimensions of wastelands development

The increasing requirement of food and fuel for the population as well as increasing use of raw materials for the industry are leading to the environment degradation and rapid expansion of wastelands which cannot be checked unless timely efforts are made. Out of the total landmass of 328 million hectares, India has about 175 million hectares of degraded surface. The satellite imagery, too, indicates that we are losing about 1.3 million hectares of forest per year.

A National Seminar on Wastelands Development was organised by the Association for Wastelands Development in October, 1986 in New Delhi to discuss and evaluate the strategies at the policy and implementation levels for successful completion of the schemes of environmental protection, afforestation and prevention as well as reclamation of wastelands included in the 20-point programme.

This volume contains the papers presented by the participants in the Seminar. The papers fall into six major concerns. These relate to the concept and problems of wastelands, mapping, remedial measures and reclamation of wastelands as well as the economics of wasteland reclamation and planning of wasteland development. The book should prove immensely useful to students, researchers and workers in agricultural planning. For governmental and public agencies engaged in wasteland development, the book should serve as an important source of reference.