The costs of soil erosion

Abstract

The aim of this study was a survey of the estimated costs of soil erosion, an issue of fundamental importance in view of the current worldwide discussions on sustainability. A list was drawn up of research papers on erosion (on-site and offsite effects) and their respective costs. The estimates indicate the amount of resources spent in the process of soil degradation, raising a general awareness of the need for soil conservation. On-site costs affect the production units directly, while off-site costs create a burden borne by the environment, economy and society. In addition, estimating the costs of soil erosion should be effective to alert the agricultural producers, society and government for the need for measures that can be implemented to bring erosion under control. Among the various estimates of soil erosion costs between 1933 a 2010, the highest figure was 45.5 billion dollars a year for the European Union. In the United States, the highest figure was 44 billion dollars a year. In Brazil, estimates for the state of Paraná indicate a value of 242 million dollars a year, and for the state of São Paulo, 212 million dollars a year. These figures show, above all, that conservation measures must be implemented if crop and livestock farming production are to be sustainable. Index terms: soil degradation, on-site and off-site losses, sustainable development. RESUMO: OS CUSTOS DA EROSÃO DO SOLO

Perdas e custos associados à erosão hídrica em função de taxas de cobertura do solo

“…The main consequences of erosion are losses of water, soil, OM, nutrients and the costs generated (Pimentel et al, 1995;Telles et al, 2011;Telles et al, 2013a). The study of this phenomenon is of utmost importance, since freshwater is a scarce natural resource and that the gradual losses of soil can turn it into an unproductive land (Pimentel et al, 1995;Lal, 1998;Den Biggelaar et al, 2003a, b).…”

Valuation and assessment of soil erosion costs

“…The main challenge is to quantify these impacts and provide the economic agents with answers as to the real losses caused by erosion. Variables and methods are being tested in various countries depending on the available information, in an attempt to include the soil as a proxy in economic and social relations (Adhikari and Nadella, 2011;Boardman, 2006;Stroosnijder, 2005;Telles et al, 2011). Bennett (1929Bennett ( , 1933Bennett ( , 1935Bennett ( , 1939Bennett ( , 1940Bennett ( , 1955, Pimentel et al (1995) and Uri (2000Uri ( , 2001 are among the leading researchers who have devoted time and effort to study the costs of on-site soil erosion (based on nutrient losses and drops in yield) and off-site soil erosion (based on off-site impacts).…”

“…Soil erosion disrupts the natural balance and it can lead to a decrease in the productive potential of agricultural land (Pimentel et al, 1995). This is due to the loss of topsoil layers and soil fertility, a decrease in yield per unit of applied inputs, loss of income and profit to the farmer, a reduction in crop and livestock farming activities, a drop in the value of the agricultural land, pollution and destruction of water resources and public assets, flooding and silting up of waterways and migration of rural populations to urban areas (Telles et al, 2011).…”

Spatial Distribution of Annual and Monthly Rainfall Erosivity in the Jaguarí River Basin

“…Due to the severe drought in 2013 and 2014 in the southeast region of Brazil (Coelho et al, 2016), the issue of water security has gained even more relevance in these regions. However, the problems of land use and occupation historically and continuously threaten the quality of surface water, the useful life of reservoirs, and the productive capacity of the soil, and the greatest cause of degradation is water erosion (Telles et al, 2011). Effective control of erosive processes in river basins depends on studies of the spatial and temporal behavior of erosive factors, especially rainfall erosivity (Martins et al, 2010;Silva et al, 2010).…”