Intensive agriculture, poor irrigation and overgrazing contribute to which environmental issue?

Intensive agriculture, poor irrigation and overgrazing contribute to which environmental issue?

• A. Pollution
• B. Desertification
• C. Erosion
• D. Deforestation

Answer: (B)

The influence here is land degradation in dry regions caused by human activities. Intensive agriculture, poor irrigation, and overgrazing strip away vegetation, compact the soil, and reduce its ability to absorb water. Repeated cropping and grazing leave soil bare, making it vulnerable to wind and water erosion, while bad irrigation can cause salinization and waterlogging that kill plants and degrade soil structure. Over time, these effects lower fertility and vegetation cover so the land becomes unable to support productive use, creating desert-like conditions—desertification. Erosion can be a part of this, but desertification describes the broader, long-term loss of productivity in arid and semi-arid areas due to these combined practices. Pollution and deforestation describe different processes, so desertification best captures this scenario.

The influence here is land degradation in dry regions caused by human activities. Intensive agriculture, poor irrigation, and overgrazing strip away vegetation, compact the soil, and reduce its ability to absorb water. Repeated cropping and grazing leave soil bare, making it vulnerable to wind and water erosion, while bad irrigation can cause salinization and waterlogging that kill plants and degrade soil structure. Over time, these effects lower fertility and vegetation cover so the land becomes unable to support productive use, creating desert-like conditions—desertification. Erosion can be a part of this, but desertification describes the broader, long-term loss of productivity in arid and semi-arid areas due to these combined practices. Pollution and deforestation describe different processes, so desertification best captures this scenario.