 Soil Erosion

Soil erosion -the process by which grains of soil (clay and silt) are dragged by
the action of water or wind- is becoming increasingly common on the planet. It
is, of course, one of the major players in the geological cycle. It is usually slow
and takes millions of years. Erosion is caused by different climatic factors: water
precipitation from rain and snow, wind and temperature changes.
Over the past 50 years, erosion has increased dramatically worldwide, causing
irreversible degradation and damage which affect biodiversity, agriculture,
freshwater systems, and mankind in general.
 Dominican soil degradation
As for the Dominican Republic, in a detailed study, the Department of
Environmental and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic, reports that
15% of the country's soils are being overused, meaning, they are used beyond
their natural capacity, and therefore, they are subject to processes of
degradation of physical, chemical and biological characteristics that determine
their properties.
By contrast, 40% of the country’s soils are being underutilized, meaning, their
usage is below its productive capacity. Also, it has been identified that less than
a 30% of the country's soils are being used properly, including among them the
territory occupied by national parks and other protected areas.
An example of lands that have lost their value in agriculture is the San Juan de
la Maguana valley. That valley has already lost some of its production capacity
due to soil erosion and other damages, after several tropical storms. Because of
these disastrous storms, the San Juan valley, once known as the "breadbasket
of the South", no longer produces the same amount of beans, resulting in a
decrease in the total domestic production.
In response to this growing problem, in the eighties was formed a Soil
Conservation Service. Soon after, the Secretariat of Natural Resources created
the Department of Inventory of Natural Resources, with the objective of
spreading knowledge that would allow the implementation of zoning plans. At
the legal level, there is now a series of measures for soil conservation within the
framework of the General Law on Environment and Natural Resources.
Keeping in mind that the situation is still alarming throughout the nation, the
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture prepared a study on
Dominican soils, in which it recommended: 1) to strengthen the Soil
Conservation Service so it will continue the work already carried out and extend
it to all land uses; 2) to update the information and analysis of rain intensity for
purposes of designing infrastructure and planning land use
It is hoped that by incorporating these and other strategies, the health of rivers,
vegetation, biodiversity and agricultural productivity can be restored, given that
the quality of all these resources depends on the presence of healthy and well-
preserved soils, to contribute to the welfare of the Dominican population in the
Caribbean island in the long term.