Question

Name some human activities that pollute water and degrade land.suggest two measures to prevent pollution and degradation.

Answer 1

Human activities that lead to water pollution:

1) Discharge of untreated industrial waste into water bodies
2)Discharge of untreated sewage waste into water bodies
3)Careless disposal of garbage that eventually end up in water bodies.
4)Excessive uses of fertilizers

Human causes of land degradation:
1) Excessive use of fertilizers
2) Overgrazing
3)Deforestation
4) Repeated cultivation.

Measures to curb water pollution and land degradation:
-Better waste disposal practices such as treating of sewage and industrial waste.
-Substituting use of chemical fertilizers with green manure or toning down the use of these manures.
- Carry out better farming practices such shifting cultivation and rotational grazing.

Answer 2

Answer:Land degradation is a global problem largely related to agricultural use, deforestation and climate change. Causes include:

Land clearance, such as clearcutting and deforestation

Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices

Livestock including overgrazing and overdrafting

Inappropriate irrigation[9] and overdrafting

Urban sprawl and commercial development

Vehicle off-roading

Quarrying of stone, sand, ore and minerals

Increase in field size due to economies of scale, reducing shelter for wildlife, as hedgerows and copses disappear

Exposure of naked soil after harvesting by heavy equipment

Monoculture, destabilizing the local ecosystem

Dumping of non-biodegradable trash, such as plastics

Invasive Species

Climate change

Loss of soil carbon