Land Conservation

Land management refers to practices that are carried out on water resources and agricultural land in order to avoid harmful activities such as soil degradation and pollution in water bodies, which may lead to their destruction. Conservation of working fields, forests, and natural lands may provide financial benefits not only to the government but also to individuals, resulting in cost savings (Endicott 2). Land conservation has various benefits, ranging from natural, social, and economic benefits, and the Ministry of Agriculture should ensure that land conservation strategies are used.
Because of the advantages that people derive from natural property, it is being threatened. Those who practice farming do so without considering the future. They just utilize the land to make the best out of it. The overexploitation can result in the destruction of the land, for instance, the more the chemicals that are used on the land, the worse it gets as they destroy the ions concentration of the soil and it degrades with time. The worse it gets, the less the productive the land becomes. Conservation is thus necessary to make sure that the land is still productive for a long time.

When the land is affected with chemicals, they are washed away into the river by the rainwater which means that the water becomes destroyed and yet it can be used for land conservation. Therefore, destroying the land results in destroying other natural resources such as the rivers and the animals living there such as fish. Preservation of the earth will thus be promoting the protection of other natural resources too so that the advantages can be gained (Ginn 6).

The conservational tool is guided by various activities such as the economic benefits of parks, trails, biodiversity, and smart growth and Sprawl costs. There are lots of events that would be affected such as outdoor recreation activities. These activities are hiking, hunting, fishing, boating and watching the wildlife these activities attract visitors to a region where the recreation activities are located and the community benefits economically. The visitors promote the small business in the area such as buying foodstuffs, staying in the hotels for overnight or for as long as they are on the vacation. There are those who lease land for farming activities, and they only look for the best conserved for productive purposes. When a community protests its land through conservation methods, it protects the economic benefits gained from outdoor activities.

Land conservation entails a social process of accessing, using and sustaining the natural system of the earth and thus the social costs and benefits have to be incurred. These benefits are clean air and water, survival and growth of the economies which are natural based and the way of life, cultural and aesthetic benefits of wildlife. The costs included are limitations on the use of resources for economic purposes and social changes as patterns in resource use changes. The way the costs and benefits are distributed is determined by the conservation strategies applied depending on the region (Endicott 10). In the protected regions, for instance, the resources are restricted as a way of conserving them, physical displacement, restriction to access certain lands due to the cultural and religious purposes they have, enforcement activities and conflicts on human-wildlife.

Social effects of conservation of the lands have both practical and ethical foundations. Ethical foundations are based on recognizing the rights to resources of the local population and methods through which they can be substituted and loses compensation. The ethical dimensions are associated with values of social justice and the framework on legal, human rights.

For the economic, social and environmental benefits to be achieved there are various methods used in conserving the lands. It begins with educating the population and sensitizing the landholders on different aspects of the land resource and how it can be used sustainably. Some people only concentrate at the economic advantage and end up overexploiting the land which eventually becomes almost useless. It is necessary to educate people on the importance of land conservation, the benefits associated with it and how it can be done using simple approaches such as planting mulch and grasses to stop erosion during the rainy season. Contour plowing method should be conducted through farming along the contours of the hills or when harrowing and sowing. In that way, cases of soil being left loose will be prevented, and erosion will not take place (Staff 17).

Terracing method is the other conservation approach. It is done through creating wide steps along the slop along the contours. The approach is not practiced in every region but mostly in the rice growing regions. There are afforestation and deforestation programs established by the government and ministry of environment, natural resources, and agriculture. The programs guide the planting of trees, bushes, and grass which assist in ensuring that soil erosion does not take place. The communities should be discouraged from cutting down trees, and when one cuts any tree, they should plant two more. These programs should be educated to the community members, especially those living near the forests.

There should be strict action taken to ensure that any reckless cutting down of trees is stopped as well as overgrazing. People living near the forests have the tendency of overgrazing or cutting down of trees and selling them. Though they utilize the wood for economic benefits, the long-term effects are worse. The more the trees are cut down, the bear the land is left, and it affects seasons such as rainy seasons rarely happen. The last conservation method is constructing gully-trap and dams which assists in the harvesting of water. Water is necessary for land conservation as when the seasons are dry; people will not be forced to destroy the natural resources (Ginn 21).

In conclusion, land conservation is very important is necessary for the community people. There are social, economic and environmental advantages. When the community members conserve the environment, they are able to enjoy clean water sources and clean air which is not polluted. When the land is destroyed, the people are bound to experience poverty and hunger as the lands are no longer productive. The water sources are destroyed, and thus the water is polluted. When the community members consume the contaminated water, they develop ill-health; they become weak and are not able to even utilize the land to their advantage. Since the people concentrate on the economic benefits of land exploitation, it is essential for the authority to intervene through the ministry of environment, natural resources, and agriculture. They can create awareness on the importance of land conservation and ensure that land is protected in all ways to benefit the entire community.

Works Cited

Endicott, Eve. Land Conservation Through Public/private Partnerships. Washington, D.C: Island Press, 1993. Internet resource.

Ginn, William J. Investing in Nature: Case Studies of Land Conservation in Collaboration with Business. Washington: Island Press, 2005. Internet resource.

Staff, National R. C. Setting Priorities for Land Conservation. Washington: National Academies Press, 1900. Internet resource.