Managing Arid Areas and Sand Dunes in Sri Lanka - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 320

Fig. 16.4 Soil erosion control works like these are being used to ( a ) control water flow and
( b ) create terraces
Table 16.1 Extent of each soil erosion hazard class within the Central Province of Sri

Lanka

Nuwaraeliya Kandy Matale

Soil erosion hazard Extent (ha) % Extent (ha) % Extent (ha) %

Low 49;610 29 46;792 25 94;500 47

Moderate 53;635 31 54;618 29 75;929 37:4

High 28;185 17 36;171 19 12;450 6:2

Very high 32;890 19 47;790 25 18;900 9:3

Extremely high 6;255 4 3;790 2 160 0:1

Tot al 170;575 100 189;161 100 201;939 100

4.1 Major Causes for Land Degradation

4.1.1 Natural Resource Base Related

• Geomorphologic conditions and rainfall characteristics conducive to severe land

degradation in the form of soil erosion

4.1.2 Human Related

• High dependency on land for livelihoods

• High demand for agricultural lands under increasing population density, which

leads to encroachment of forests and marginal lands