Cultural Wasteland: Causes, Classification and Importance

A Cultural Wasteland is defined as the land that is available for cultivation or forestation and is given for harvesting to an individual for a sequence of five years. These lands previously may be totally filled with shrubs and jungles and are not being used by the other common people. 

These lands consist of no other social spots.  These wastelands are unused land sometimes incapable of the purpose of agriculture due to various reasons such as logged land, marshy land, degraded forest land, saline land, and industrial wasteland.

Cultured Wasteland

Causes of Wasteland Formation

Some of the important causes responsible for the formation of wastelands are as follows:

• Over-Cultivation: Over-Cultivation refers to the excessive cultivation of land without permitting proper regeneration of the land. This results in the problems of soil erosion, reduction in soil productivity, and also problems reducing nutrients. Over-Cultivation also causes land degradation and unfortunately, there is a situation of wasteland formation.
• Overgrazing: Overgrazing refers to the excessive use of land for animal feeding or grazing. Continuous grazing of animals results in the problems of soil erosion and degradation and also leads to the decrement of quality and also quantity of vegetation. This is also the major cause of Cultural Wastelands.
• Unskilled irrigation: Irrigation is the agricultural solution to water crops in dry acquired lands. But improper irrigation leads to Cultural Wastelands in terms of waterlogging, salinization, and also soil degradation.
• Deforestation: Deforestation is all about cutting trees from the land surface which highly impacts the loss of nutrients, and changes in weather patterns and is also responsible for land degradation. 
• Dumping of wastes and mines: Mine and waste disposal can contaminate the soil and water, which can eventually result in the development of wastelands. Chemical and industrial waste disposal can also degrade the soil’s fertility and render it unusable for farming or other land uses.
• Misuse and unscientific land management: Misuses and unscientific land management techniques, such as the incorrect application of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, can cause soil erosion and degradation and the creation of wasteland. Furthermore, unsustainable land-use techniques like monoculture can result in a decline in soil fertility and an increase in soil erosion.

Classification of Wasteland

Wasteland is being further classified as cultural and non-cultural wasteland as follows:

1. Cultural Wasteland: Cultural wasteland is defined as land that cannot be used for any agricultural or forestation purpose. Example of cultural wasteland includes waterlogged and marshy land, Degraded forest, shifting cultivation land, saline land, and mined and industrial land.
2. Non-Cultural Wasteland: Non-cultural wasteland is defined as land that cannot be developed for agriculture, forestation, or any other productive purposes. Example of a Non-cultural wasteland includes desert land, rocky land, glacier land, snow-covered land, etc.

Types of Wasteland

There are several types of Wastelands. Some of the types are been explained below:

1. Urban Wasteland: This term to the abandoned land in urban areas that leads to the issues of Industrial decrement and Urban Sprawl. 
2. Agricultural Wasteland: This term refers to the loss of land for farming due to the causes of Soil Degradation, Waterlogging, and Salinization of land. 
3. Coastal Wasteland: This refers to the damaged land or degraded land in coastal areas, which results in climate change or other problems. 
4. Military Wasteland: This land is been abandoned due to military activities like missile testing or launching, bomb testing, etc. 
5. Mining Wasteland: This wasteland refers to the contamination of land due to mining activities like coal mining and open-pit mining activities. 

Features of Cultural Wastelands

• Cultural wastelands are not capable of producing materials or services. 
• Cultural wastelands produce less than 20% of economic potential. 
• These lands are ecologically unstable and badly degraded. 
• This type of land is if used can be used for agriculture, forestation, and other specific purposes such as national parks or national hybrid projects. 
• The formation of Cultural wastelands directly or indirectly affects the various other components of the ecosystem and leads to an unstable ecological balance. 

Importance of Cultural Wastelands 

The development of a cultural wasteland provides a source of income for the poor and needy people. These people can be used by them for a specific period of time and get income from cultivation for these wastelands. This wasteland can also be used to supply fuel, and timber for local use. 

As the soil does not contain any polluting substances or processes it makes the soil more fertile. These lands can be used for forestation by the government which can result in help in improving the proper natural lifecycle and maintenance in the local climatic conditions. These lands help in holding moisture and therefore reduce surface run-off rates. 

Advantages of Cultural Wastelands

• Cultural wastelands can serve as a habitat for biodiversity and provide support to ecosystem services. 
• These lands can be used for the purpose of research and development of technology.  
• These lands can be used for agriculture which can help them to strengthen economically. 
• These lands can be used by the government for forestation which can eventually help in reducing pollution and contribute to the working of the ecosystem properly.  

Disadvantages of Cultural Wastelands

• Cultural wastelands can lead to soil degradation, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity if the land is not used.  
• Deforestation can impact climatic changes and land degradation.  
• These lands can impact the aesthetics of surrounding areas.
• Making the land available for use can be a financial burden for governments or an individual. 

FAQs on Cultural Wasteland 

Q 1. What are examples of a Cultural Wasteland?

Answer-

The examples of Cultural Wasteland includes marshy lands, degraded lands, saline lands and industrial used lands. 

Q 2. What are the causes of Cultural Wasteland?

Answer-

There are various causes of cultural wasteland such as over-gazing, deforestation, over- cultivation, dumping of waste and industrial materials. 

Q 3. The largest area under wasteland in India is in which state? 

Answer-

The largest area under wasteland in India is in Rajasthan state.