Western Ghat Regions (WGR)are witnessing a alarming rate of Soil erosion: IIT-Bombay study | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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  • Study was conducted between 1990 and 2020 using data from LANDSAT-8, rainfall records etc.

 

  • Key findings:
    • Portions of WGR in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat registered 121% and 119% increase in soil erosion respectively. 
    • Across whole of WGR, the increase in erosion rate was 94%. 
    • In absolute terms, Maharashtra had the highest 79 ton per hectare per year soil loss in 2020, while Kerala had the lowest loss.

 

  • Causes identified for erosion: Increasing rainfall erosivity factor (rainfall's potential to cause soil erosion), steep slopes and high rainfall, climate change and unsustainable land use, cultivation of tea, coffee etc. 

 

  • Concerns: Threat to biological diversity, agricultural productivity, water quality across WGs.

 

  • Protection measures: 
    • Gadgil committee and Dr. K. Kasturirangan committee to assess WG’s ecology.
    • Western Ghats Natural Heritage Management Committee under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
    • Number of protected areas, like Tiger Reserves, National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, etc.

 

  • About Western Ghats 
    • About 1,600 km long, they are a chain of mountains running parallel to India’s western coast.
    • Spread across six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

 

Significance of WGs:

  • It is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of 36 biodiversity hotspots on Earth.
  • Recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ . 
  • Best representatives of non-equatorial tropical evergreen forests.
  • Acts as barrier to eastward moving clouds during monsoon. 
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