Ecological-economic assessment of forest land degradation neutrality in the Indus River Basin of Pakistan.
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| Title: | Ecological-economic assessment of forest land degradation neutrality in the Indus River Basin of Pakistan. |
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| Authors: | Arif, Muhammad1 (AUTHOR) muhammadarif@gltu.edu.cn, Amin, Hira2 (AUTHOR) heraamen@gmail.com, Zarif, Nowsherwan3 (AUTHOR) noshu2002@gmail.com, Xiangyue, Liu2 (AUTHOR) xiangyueliu0904@nefu.edu.cn, Yukun, Cao2 (AUTHOR) cyklk@163.com |
| Source: | Environment, Development & Sustainability. Mar2026, Vol. 28 Issue 3, p5621-5638. 18p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Land degradation, *Land management, *Socioeconomic factors, *Riparian ecology, *Forest degradation, *Riparian areas, *Soil degradation, *Bioindicators |
| Geographic Terms: | Pakistan, Indus River |
| Abstract: | Land degradation neutrality can be achieved by mobilizing stakeholders and investing in strategic land management. Despite significant investments, efforts to rehabilitate and prevent degradation in less developed countries often fall short of anticipated outcomes. Research on the integration of biophysical indicators with socio-economic factors remains scarce, particularly in countries reliant on rivers and agriculture. This study investigates biophysical indicators and socio-economic factors using five distinct econometric models within the riparian ecosystems of the Indus River Basin (IRB), a vital lifeline in Pakistan. The findings indicate a positive correlation between topsoil loss and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) losses (kg/ha/year), as well as soil NPK depletion (ton/ha/year). Specifically, a 1% increase in topsoil loss corresponds to a 0.159% rise in NPK loss and a 0.306% increase in soil NPK depletion. Moreover, a 1% increase in gross domestic product per capita (US$) is associated with a 0.342% rise in soil NPK loss, while soil NPK depletion decreases by approximately 0.65%. The study further reveals that a 1% increase in soil NPK loss and depletion reduces aggregate riparian yield by approximately 4.6% and 0.135%, respectively. The estimated total investment cost for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) is $1,816/ha, with the present value of preventing NPK losses through SLM technologies projected at $4,410/ha. Consequently, IRB's net present value stands at $2,594/ha, with a benefit-cost ratio of approximately 2.43. Therefore, investing in SLM technologies for riparian lands to mitigate topsoil loss, induced soil nutrient depletion, and nutrient losses proves to be a highly effective intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Database: | Energy & Power Source |
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| Abstract: | Land degradation neutrality can be achieved by mobilizing stakeholders and investing in strategic land management. Despite significant investments, efforts to rehabilitate and prevent degradation in less developed countries often fall short of anticipated outcomes. Research on the integration of biophysical indicators with socio-economic factors remains scarce, particularly in countries reliant on rivers and agriculture. This study investigates biophysical indicators and socio-economic factors using five distinct econometric models within the riparian ecosystems of the Indus River Basin (IRB), a vital lifeline in Pakistan. The findings indicate a positive correlation between topsoil loss and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) losses (kg/ha/year), as well as soil NPK depletion (ton/ha/year). Specifically, a 1% increase in topsoil loss corresponds to a 0.159% rise in NPK loss and a 0.306% increase in soil NPK depletion. Moreover, a 1% increase in gross domestic product per capita (US$) is associated with a 0.342% rise in soil NPK loss, while soil NPK depletion decreases by approximately 0.65%. The study further reveals that a 1% increase in soil NPK loss and depletion reduces aggregate riparian yield by approximately 4.6% and 0.135%, respectively. The estimated total investment cost for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) is $1,816/ha, with the present value of preventing NPK losses through SLM technologies projected at $4,410/ha. Consequently, IRB's net present value stands at $2,594/ha, with a benefit-cost ratio of approximately 2.43. Therefore, investing in SLM technologies for riparian lands to mitigate topsoil loss, induced soil nutrient depletion, and nutrient losses proves to be a highly effective intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 1387585X |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10668-024-05116-0 |
