Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
developed in mangrove patches located along the
coastlines of maritime states which causes verti-
cal and horizontal migration of salts in the
adjacent areas. This has profound negative
impact on the survival and growth of coastal
vegetation.
The marshy areas and mangrove patches are
also destroyed in few areas of lower Gangetic
delta through development brick kilns
(Fig.
7.35
). The soil excavated for developing
shrimp farms is used to manufacture bricks,
which a spin-off product of shrimp industry. The
construction of brick kilns in swampy areas not
only adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
(a local level effect), but also clears the vegeta-
tion and modify the marsh soil, which are rich
reservoir of carbon.
C. Livestock
Livestock cause considerable damage to blue
carbon reservoir by way of (i) grazing (ii)
emission of greenhouse gases (iii) and directly
depending on leaves of coastal vegetation for
nutrition. According to a 2006 United Nations
report, livestock is responsible for 18 % of the
world
s greenhouse gas emissions as measured in
carbon dioxide equivalents. This, however,
includes land usage change, meaning deforesta-
tion in order to create grazing land. In the
Amazon Rainforest, 70 % of deforestation was
done solely to make way for grazing land. This is
the major factor in the UNFAO report (2006);
'
rst agricultural report to
include land usage change into the radiative
forcing of livestock. In addition to carbon diox-
ide emissions, livestock produces 65 % of
human-induced nitrous oxide (which has
296 times the global warming potential of carbon
dioxide) and 37 % of human-induced methane
(which has 23 times the global warming potential
of carbon dioxide).
Several case studies can support the issue of
damaging the coastal vegetation by livestock. In
Indian subcontinent, the Maldharis are a nomadic
pastoral community that travels with their herds
of cattle or camels from place to place. The over-
Fig. 7.35
Brick kiln in the marshy land near estuary in
the lower Gangetic delta region; photograph taken on 4
December 2013 by Mr. Tanmay Ray Chaudhuri
(Environmentalist and a researcher of Techno India
University, Kolkata)
