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hazard. Landslide hazard degraded mostly non-irrigated agricultural land
because such type of land is mainly found in moderate to high slope areas
of hills which are highly vulnerable to landslide hazard. The erosion hazard
is also a major responsible factor for agricultural land degradation in the
Himalaya mountains because it takes place with both types of hazard either
as a landslide hazard or fl ood hazard. Consequently erosion hazard affects
irrigated and non-irrigated land equally.
Decreasing Agricultural Productions:
Climate change and accelerated
hydrological hazards during the monsoon and non-monsoon periods
affects the agricultural production. Drying up water resources during the
non-monsoon period decreasing the irrigation land whereas as the fl oods,
high runoff, soil erosion and landslide during monsoon period affects fertile
agricultural land. As a result these hydrological hazards cause decreasing
average yield rates of the monsoon and non-monsoon crops (Table 11.9
and Fig. 11.9). During two decades period (1990-2010) the average yield
rate of the non-monsoon crops and monsoon crops have been decreasing
about 26 and 28%, whereas the population has increased with the growth
rate of about 37% during same time period (Table 11.9). Consequently the
annual average rate of the yield decreasing accounts for about 1.35 and
1.40% respectively for the non-monsoon and monsoon crops (Table 11.9). It
is also observed that climate change and its outputs (land-use degradation
and hydrological hazards) not only affected agricultural production but also
fruit production in the study area and poses a serious threat for community
food and livelihood.
180
0
160
-10
140
-20
120
-30
100
-40
80
-50
60
-60
40
-70
20
0
-80
Non-Monsoon Crops
Monsoon Crops
1985-1990
2005-2010
Change
Figure 11.9.
Decreasing average crop yield during 1985-2010.
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