Technological Interventions for Managing Ravine Lands for Livelihood and Environmental Security

Abstract

Rehabilitation of degraded ravine lands is immensely important to conserve land and water resources for sustaining and improving production and productivity and to counter impacts of climate change. There is a need to effectively implement improved package of practices along with soil and water conservation measures in marginal lands around the ravines. It is estimated that these practices may result in 9–28% improvement in cropping intensity and 20–66% increase in current yield levels with an overall improvement of 118–280% increase in net returns through increased crop production. If the shallow ravine lands are brought under scientific cultivation of high-value as well as low-value fruit trees, it may augment the supply of fruits in the daily diet of people in India. These horticulture-based systems are cost-effective with high benefit-cost ratio. In deep ravines, silvopastoral systems are viable technology for stabilization and productive utilization. Ravine area development will not only contribute to bridging the growing demand and supply gap for food, fodder, and fuel but also help restore livelihood security for resource constraint communities and mitigate climate change impacts, besides providing improved ecosystems services. Apart from scientific and technological interventions for reclamation and productive use of ravine land, the support and involvement of the local farmers and local community in planning, project formulation, and implementation of different government programs and reform of local land tenure and social arrangements are equally important for the success of ravine reclamation programs.