Preventive Measures Against Erosion by Onipe Mark

INTRODUCTION:
Any threat to human life and its environment is usually considered a serious one and there is
no gainsaying the fact that erosion constitutes one of such threats. It is in recognition of this
and in response to the appeals from various communities across the country, that the Federal
Ministry of Environment in concert with World Bank and its partner agencies have designed
Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP); an 8–year innovative,
multi–sectoral project to address the menace of gully erosion and land degradation in the
country. Considering the ravaging effects of erosion and the huge sum that would be
expended to tackle its menace, one would certainly agree with the well–said quote that
prevention is better that cure.
This programme therefore aims at enlightening and sensitizing the members of various
communities in the 21 local government areas of Kogi state to the preventive measures against
erosion and at inculcating in them the habit of putting these measures into practice. To
kick-start, a look at what erosion is will be invaluable.
WHAT IS EROSION?
Soil erosion is the removal of topsoil faster than the soil forming process can replace it. It may
be due to water (rainfall and runoff), wind, animal and human activity (deforestation,
overgrazing, overstocking and tillage practices).
EROSION MENACE
 Loss of Arable Land: soil erosion results in the reduction of arable farmland and in the
quality of crops grown on such areas.
 Loss of Organic Matter from Soil: erosion results in the loss of nutrients and organic
matter thereby inhibiting the survival of plants in the affected areas.
 Pollution of Water: eroded soil from agricultural lands contains pesticides, heavy
metals, and fertilizers which are washed into rivers leading to water pollution and
damage to marine and freshwater habitats.
 Clogging of Waterways: Siltation of waterways increase chances of flooding,
incurring potential cost and damage of further infrastructure
 Threat to Aquatic Systems: besides polluting the water systems, high soil
sedimentation can be detrimental to the survival of aquatic life.
 Destruction of Valuable Properties: soil erosion can lead to the destruction of
houses, telecommunication masks, electric poles and water pipes located near erosion
sites. It can also lead to the destruction of roads and collapse of bridges linking
communities thereby making it difficult for members of a community to visit and trade
with members of another community.
 Effects on Human Life: many people have evacuated their homes to avoid erosion
threat to their lives, sustained various degrees of injury, and died as a result of accidents
in erosion sites.
 Desertification: Soil erosion is a major diver of desertification as it gradually
transforms a habitable land into desert. This is worsened by destructive use of the land
and the deforestation that leaves the soil naked and open to erosion.
 Landslide: erosion could eventually lead to landslide.
EROSION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES
 Avoid Dumping of Refuse along Water Courses: dumping of refuse on water

channels which could lead to flooding especially during heavy rainfall should be
avoided.
 Improve drainage: buildings should have adequate drainage channels (gutter,
pipes and underground perforated drainage pipe for areas with heavy water runoff)
to prevent the washing away of soil.
 Plant Grass and Shrubs: the roots of plants hold the soil together, while their leaves
block rain and prevent breaking the soil apart. Turf, ornamental grass, and low,
spreading shrubs work best, since they cover the soil completely.
 Plant trees: planting of trees is often considered as a universal answer to soil erosion.
Trees help protect the soil from the direct impact of rain and transpire large of amount
of water thereby counteracting very wet soil. Tree roots bind soil to sloping land.
Suitable choices are Albizia, Cassia and Butia.
 Put down fiber logs: soil erosion on steep slopes be prevented by putting down a
series of rolled up logs or “wattle” made from fibrous material (like straw) across the
slope of the soil. This causes the sedimentation of the eroded soil instead of the flowing
water carrying it downhill.
 Avoid soil compaction: the compaction of soil as result of human, animal and
machine movements which makes draining of water through from the soil difficult
should be avoided. Walking on pavements or cleared paths is therefore recommended
instead on trampling on soil especially when it is wet.
 Reduce tillage: Deep, frequent tillage which make soil vulnerable to water erosion
should be avoided.
 Control Grazing: cattle grazing on plants which exposes the topsoil should be limited
to the land meant for the purpose or/and should done in such a way that allow grasses
to reestablish themselves before next grazing on.
 Turn a hillside into terraces. Turn hill which is almost impossible to farm on into
terraces by building retaining walls running across the slope and in between the walls, a
flat area which is resistant to erosion should be created by leveling.
CONCLUSION: from the exposition of the menace of erosion in this pamphlet, one will no
small measure agree that erosion poses a great hazard to man and his surroundings. It is
therefore necessary that we put every machinery in place to prevent its development.

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INTRODUCTION:

 Avoid Dumping of Refuse along Water Courses: dumping of refuse on water

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