Introduction:

Soil erosion is a gradual process that occurs when the actions of water, wind, and other factors eat away and wear down the land, causing the soil to deteriorate or disappear completely. Soil deterioration and low quality of water due to erosion and run off has often become a severe problem around South Africa. Many times the problems become so severe that the land can no longer be cultivated and is abandoned.

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Problems:

  • The loss of topsoil reduces the country’s soil fertility, hence the ability to grow food. More fertilizers will have to be used as a substitute for the lost soil, therefore a raise in food costs.
  • The hydrology of river systems is affected, as there is less infiltration and more runoff and therefore reducing the amount of water in the soil for new vegetation to use next season. Seeds struggle to germinate in bare exposed soil.
  • Dams become silted up and there storage capacity is reduced.
  • Floods become an increased hazard, because of the increased runoff.

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