Anthropogenic and climate change factors in present and future soil and water conservation problems

Soil and water conservation problems and their negative effects on present and future food and water supply for an increasing population, on natural disasters and in environmental damages in general, are increasing in the whole World. In many cases those problems are mainly attributed to climate changes derived of present human activities on earth, which supposedly would increase to critical levels in the near future. Following that hypothesis, presently, the increasingly scarcer resources for research on soil and water management and conservation are mainly dedicated to study the previewed future effects of those potential climate changes and the required measures to reduce their negative effects. Those studies are many times mostly theoretical and speculative, without enough field experimental based evidences. Frequently, those studies are in detriment of the still required research on the present real causes of the increasing degradation of soil and water resources, derived of the increasing pressure of a growing population on those resources. These pressures generally lead to a non adequate land use and management, and to the application of empirical generalized conservation practices, without enough local required information and research to select or develop the most appropriate for each case. There are presented arguments and evidences, using some case studies, to reinforce the hypothesis that still nowadays the non adequate use and management of the soil and water resources, derived of increasing population and development pressures, and of limited research and application of empirical soil and water conservation practices, is the main cause, above the man-induced climate changes, of the present problems and their sometimes catastrophic effects. Indirectly, those effects may be accelerating the potential future human induced climate changes. There are presented approaches that may help to improve present land use and management and to decrease future soil and water conservation problems, due to anthropogenic or climate change factors, to prevent their negative consequences.