Causes and Consequences of Land Degradation : Conversion of Agricultural land to Non-Agricultural usages in Bangladesh: A case study on ‘Keyain’ village of Munshigonj District

Abstract: During the last few years the agriculture sector is facing danger in many ways. Conversion of agricultural land in non-agricultural uses is one of the main reasons to follow. Why the land is decreasing, how it is converted to non-agricultural purposes is the important matter of concern at present. The study is going to answer why the land is decreasing, how it is converted to non-agricultural uses and what might be the consequences for improper uses of agricultural land. In Bangladesh most of the people live in rural areas and makes Bangladesh predominantly rural. The development in rural seems development of agriculture. But the agricultural land is decreasing day by day. Poverty, rapid population growth, improper uses of land, lack of interest in agriculture, conventional system of irrigation, Real Estate companies etc are playing a critical role for decreasing agricultural land. Besides this, a nature itself is also responsible for land degradation. Flood, drought and salinity due to climate change are very common in Bangladesh thus the result is land degradation. As a result, soil fertility, crop productivity, and food security might be seriously in danger. But it is important to keep full of life this sector for land-scarce country like Bangladesh or else the consequences might be terrible. Food insecurity, unsustainable environment, economic downturn, agricultural productivity decrease and social decay etc are the important matters to consider.   Key words: Land degradation, Agriculture, Land Zoning