How bad is the problem of land degradation?

The most appropriate answer is that the perception of the extent and seriousness of the land degradation problem has moved this present federal government to initiate a national Landcare Program. It has also declared the 1990s to be the Decade of Landcare. This initiative has bipartisan support in the federal parliament, the cooperation of all state governments and, most importantly, grass roots' involvement.

In the campaign against land degradation in the pastoral zone, the involvement of the states is critical because they are ultimately responsible for the significant and growing problem of today. In particular, state governments are both liable and culpable concerning rangeland management, because almost all the pastoral country is held and used under lease. The land remains the property of the state and is only used by the lessee for a trivial fee.

The federal government has no significant control over the allocation and management of the rangelands. This is the sole responsibility of five state governments. Clearly they have failed in the past. One of the most damning illustrations of their failure is the most recent assessment of the extent of land degradation over the continent. I encourage you to read about this in the references suggested.

In a rational society, if sustainable use of the landcover cannot be guaranteed, then it would be in the national interest to withdraw the land from pastoral use. Because of the extensive nature of the pastoral landuse, very few animals are involved. The consequences for national animal production are trivial. Very large areas of the rangelands would have to be removed from use before any real impact on animal production and national economic activity could be seen. The social costs arising from terminating some pastoral landuse are similarly small.

There are alternative uses for the landscapes which are now the exclusive preserve of pastoralism. The landcover and landscapes of the rangelands have appreciable value besides being a source of forage for livestock. Much of the rangelands are near pristine ecosystems and their conservation potential for flora and fauna is highly significant.

In addition, some but not all of the rangelands, are highly sought after for non-consumptive recreational use, such as tourism or other leisure activities. The financial return from tourism, both national and international, far exceeds the return from livestock production. This issue will be discussed in a later Chapter.

Let's explore what Landsat data can show us about landcover changes under pastoral landuse.