Reducing poverty vis-a-vis combating salinity through reforestation in south Asia: a case study
Reducing poverty vis-a-vis combating salinity through reforestation in south Asia: a case study
Shams-ur-Rehman, Altaf Hussain and Riaz A. Khattak
ABSTRACT
Several countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are facing acute problem of poverty as majority of population is living below poverty line. In view of scarce resources, there is a need that some practical and economically sound strategies be developed to efficiently utilize the natural resources specially soil and water for the welfare of rural poor. Undoubtedly, few solutions e.g., reduction in human population, enhancement of agricultural productivity, development of industrial sector and creation of employment opportunities etc. are the common parameters in many countries to free the masses out of clutches of poverty but nevertheless large tracts of land are still lying barren and unutilized which could be made productive to raise the living standard of the people in the such areas. Lack of awareness among masses and mismanagement seem to be the key reasons in several developing countries leading to little or no progress in this direction Involving local communities in reforestation and selection of suitable species in combating salinity seem to be one of the economically viable approaches to reduce poverty as several million ha. area has been severely hit by this menace in many countries of South Asia. The paper describes the screening/selection of species following use of some soil amendments to successfully establish trees on these marginal and extremely low nutrient lands. It is anticipated that the rural communities could be greatly benefited if they are provided some minor incentives like provision of quality germplasm of suitable species along with short term training in nursery and planting techniques. A bare minimum annual net income of US$ 80 to 90 per acre could be obtained if a 5-6 year old plantation of Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Source No. 15441) is sold to a nearby pulp mill. Simultaneously, growing nitrogen fixing tree species on these problematic sites in the region would not only improve fertility level but could also reduce the problem of fodder and fuel wood to certain extent.
Key words: poverty reduction, salinity, choice of species.
The paper was presented in an Asia-pacific regional workshop on Forests for poverty reduction can community forestry make money?
Sponsored by Chinese Academy of Forestry & APAFRI: Sep, 2003.
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March 2003
Vol. 53, Iss. 1
