Journal of Geographic Information System, 2012, 4, 219-228 http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jgis.2012.43026 Published Online June 2012 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/jgis) Climate Change Induced Land Degradation and Socio-Economic Deterioration: A Remote Sensing and GIS Based Case Study from Rajasthan, India Akram Javed 1 , Sayema Jamal 1 , Mohd Yousuf Khandey 2 1 Department of Geology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India 2 Geological Survey of India, Western Region, Jhalana Dungri, Jaipur, India Email: sayema.alig@gmail.com Received February 27, 2012; revised March 16, 2012; accepted April 1, 2012 ABSTRACT The present study attempts to identify and quantify climate change induced land degradation at watershed and village level in Jaggar Watershed of Eastern Rajasthan using remote sensing and GIS technique. The study utilizes Standard Geocoded FCC LISS II data of 1989, and LISS III data of 1998 and 2009 on 1:50,000 scale for Land use/land cover mapping. Maps were digitized, edited and analyzed in GIS to ascertain land use/land cover changes. Comparative analysis of the Land use/land cover statistics and village level household survey reveals that climate change has se- verely affected land use/land cover especially agriculture land. Agricultural land in the watershed has decreased from 12,026 ha (34%) to 10,400 ha (29.65%) from 1998 to 2009. The area occupied by surface water resources of the major water body has decreased by 207 ha owing to decline in rainfall over the years. Climate data analysis suggests that av- erage maximum and minimum temperatures during the period 1977-2007 have increased by 1.2˚C and 0.4˚C respec- tively. Increasing trends of temperature suggests warming up of the area. Decline of ground water table by 1 - 2 m on annual basis coupled with significant drawdown has led to water scarcity in many parts of the watershed. The water table has gone down to a depth of 240 feet, which was reported at 60 - 70 feet 20 years back. The area has shown sharp decline of rainfall by 269 mm from 1977 to 2007. The survey results show that there has been shift in the cropping pat- tern during the last 20 years due to change in climate as well as decline in availability of water for irrigation. Climate change seems to have played a key role in Jaggar watershed resulting in land degradation and making rainfed agricul- ture more vulnerable. Keywords: Climate Change; Remote Sensing; Land Use/Land Cover; Socio-Economic 1. Introduction The definition of land degradation in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) gives explicit recognition to climatic variations as one of the major factors contributing to land degradation. Concerns about land-use/cover change emerged in the research agenda on global environmental change several decades ago with the realization that land surface processes in- fluence climate [1]. Land-use and land-cover changes are so pervasive that, when aggregated globally, they sig- nificantly affect key aspects of Earth System functioning. They directly impact biotic diversity worldwide [2]; contribute to local and regional climate change [3] as well as to global climate warming [4]; are the primary source of soil degradation [5]; and, by altering ecosystem services, affect the ability of biological systems to sup- port human needs [6]. Land use is a dynamic phenome- non, and both its value and pattern change from one par- ticular point of time to another and also from one geo- graphical unit to another, with varying efficiencies, abili- ties, priorities and needs [7]. Land degradation will re- main an important global issue for the 21st century be- cause of its adverse impact on agronomic productivity, the environment, and its effect on food security and the quality of life [8]. In order to accurately assess sustainable land man- agement practices, the climate resources and the risk of climate-related or induced natural disasters in a region must be known. Climate exerts a strong influence over dry land vegetation type, biomass and diversity. The generally high temperatures and low precipitation in the dry lands lead to poor organic matter production and rapid oxidation. Low organic matter leads to poor aggre- gation and low aggregate stability leading to a high po- tential for wind and water erosion [9]. In the context of productivity, land degradation results Copyright © 2012 SciRes. JGIS