Assessment of erosion

Applied

Geography

(1983),

3, 255256

Book reviews

De Boodt, M. and Gabriels, C. (eds) Assessment 01 erosion. Chichester: Wiley, 1980. 563 pp. f27.50 hardback. Recent years have seen a notable increase in the rate of publication of English language texts on soil erosion, an indication, perhaps, of increasing worldwide concern over land degradation. Most have been scientific summaries of philosophy, methodology and research in the field as viewed by one or more experienced authors, in customary textbook fashion. A few, however, are representative of another trend in scientific publishing, that of producing the proceedings of conferences and symposia as books. The two types of publication have different objectives, and must be judged according to different criteria. Assessment qferosion, based on papers presented at the Workshop on Assessment of Erosion in the USA and Europe (State University of Ghent, Belgium, March 1978), brings together 53 contributions in six discrete sections, The first section takes the form of a Keynote Address by W. C. Moldenhauer, and stresses the importance of accurate estimates of the financial cost of soil erosion through reduced agricultural yields. Sections 2 to 4 deal with assessment of erosion risk and erosion mapping, rainfall erosivity, and site characteristics affecting erosion, while section 5 covers a miscellany of such disparate topics as erosion prediction with insufficient data (N. Hudson), and landslides as a morphogenetic phenomenon in Belgium (M. C. Vanmaercke-Gottigny). Most of these sections end with a summary of discussion generated by the papers, whilst section 6 offers concluding remarks on the whole symposium. An initial reaction to this book is to question the relevance of a conference dealing with soil losses in regions of the world generally held to be relatively unaffected by serious soil degradation, particularly when compared to the far more fragile soil-vegetation systems of Africa and Asia. One should, however, regard the work as a contribution to a global survey of soil erosion, in which it should be used together with Greenland and Lal’s Soil conservation and tropics. An up-to-date

management

in

the

humid

worldwide survey of the problem could be completed by a volume dealing with erosion in semi-arid and arid zones. Further, it is clear that an extraordinary amount of research on soil erosion has been carried out not only in the USA, but also in rather unlikely countries such as Belgium, Holland, West Germany and the UK. Whether this is due to an increase in importance of soil losses in these

countries, or whether it is an expression of altruism on the part of the First World to help solve a predicament most acute in the Third World, or merely that this particular field of investigation has provided a convenient niche for otherwise unutilized scientific expertise, is difficult to say. Whatever the reason, the results of a considerable research effort from these areas exist, and deserve publication. The Workshop and Proceedings offer a suitable public platform where the main threads of the work can be drawn together, analysed and made available to others. The editors have obviously demanded concise, well-structured and well-referenced reports which are easy to use, especially since titles are short and descriptive, a point so often neglected in this type of publication. As with most conferences, the majority of papers outline the methodology and results of specific research projects from the regions concerned, and this book is most useful when viewed as a record of techniques, facts. figures and general data on the soil erosion process. Nevertheless, it is no reflection on the standard of editorship to say that, even as a factual record, the book is far from comprehensive. Editors can, after all, publish only what is submitted. This fact notwithstanding, it is still disappointing for the reader to find very few cont~butions from Eastern Europe and nothing at all from Czechoslovakian researchers, who rank amongst the leaders in European soil erosion research. It is also unfortunate that wind erosion, a phenomenon responsible for the Great Dust Bowl in USA. as well as a number of dramatic erosional events in Europe, has received scant attention. A major criticism of a number of the papers is that too many deal with the application of USLE parameters to areas for which they were not designed, and perhaps the most important comment in the whole book is that by Hudson on empirical models: ‘Empirical relationships are valid only within the range of experimental conditions, and there is no justification for expecting the same relationship to hold beyond the measured range’ (p. 280). Soil erosion researchers would do well to adhere to this fundamental tenet of scientific method. If the success of a conference and its associated proceedings as a data-gathering exercise is judged through its papers, its effectiveness as a forum for ideas must be evaluated from discussion generated by these papers. Although the editors were operating within constraints of cost, it is unfortunate that more space could not be devoted to this important aspect of the conference. However, a number of salient points emerge from such discussion as was

256

Book

retirw

printed. Young’s observations on small-scale mapping of erosion phenomena direct attention to the fact that some research resources may be devoted to the rather unproductive exercise of small-scale mappmg. USLE also comes in for some constructive criticism. largely because of unwise application of the type mentioned above. The summary and conclusions of the Workshop, by J. Quirk and R. Dudal, although brief, are admirably consise, the mood of the gathering being distilled into eight neat concluding statements. Of these, the final two, concerning the economic aspects of soil erosion and the need to create international awareness of the fact that soil losses do matter, are the most important. Greenland, D. J. and Lal, R. (1977)Soilcon.srrv~trion ~nft mnnagetnenr in the humirl rropics. Chichester: Wiley. G. Garland

Riddell, R. Ecoderelopmm/. Economics. ccoloq~ und der>elopmenr : an ultrrnutiw to growth rmpernrice models. Westmead: Ciower, 1981. 218 pp. f12.50 hardback; f7.95 paperback. Dr Riddell begins his most interesting and stimulating book by outlining the historical and economic circumstances which have brought about the dependent relationship between the poor nations and the rich. He shows just how wide the gap is between the Northern developed and the Southern poor countries. He then moves on to elaborate on the dangers of existing develo~mentai systems and to expound the strategies and policies from a set of ecodevelopment principles. The author states that ‘the overall aim of ecodevelopment is economic equity, social harmony and environmental balance in pursuit of overall and that ‘The ideal of ecohuman advance’, development action [places] its national emphasis upon economic equity, social harmony and environmental balance in the local pursuit of individual fulfilment. household self-sufficiency and community self-reliance’. Among Dr Riddell’s set of macro-princtples for ecodevelopment are two ‘organizational points’: (I) establishing an ideological commitment which is essential to generate the required political will to break with Northern dictates of an unequal international political and economic relationship; and (2) the call to sharpen political and administrative mtegrity. To achieve the objectives of these principles would require a rare combination of leader-

ship qualities and favourable circumstances which no system has as yet been able to produce by design. However, i find the calt for ethical national leadership in an unashamed manner highly admirable and one which can bear greater emphasis. In this regard, one might be tempted to suggest substituting the term ‘ethical development’ for ‘ecodevelopment’. The author does not propose new theories to promote development for poor countries but rather urges these countries to adopt a more enlightened approach based on the principles of ecodevelopment. I have strong reservations concerning his exhortation to the poor regions to ‘bypass economic growth and the industrialization model’ and his assurance that they ‘will not miss the illustory benefits of monetary expansion as they move toward widespread improvement through ecodevelopment’. There can in fact be no substitute for hard-headed decisions based on cost benefit analysis for evaluating development projects. For most developing countries, the task of the national government is first to fill the rice bowls and worry later about environmental consequcnces. Dr Riddell also ignores the successes of the newly industrialized countries (NICs)-~ South Korea, Taiwan, Hung Kong and Singapore which have by and large adhered closely to Western industrialization models and have dared to enter the hard world of the international marketplace in direct competition with developed countries. It is only when these countries have achieved a fair degree of material wealth that options for adopting the ‘soft’ development approach make any sense. Dr Riddell has failed to take into serious consideration the question of the interdependency (rather than dependency) of international trading, financial and technological systems and the very real threat of ‘protectionism‘ set up by developed countries in dealing with developing countries attempting to penetrate their domestic markets. This issue is brought up only at the end of his book. with the suggestion that ‘reconciling the aims of ever-increasing self-reliance opposing within a framework of international dependency requires that low income countries maintain and improve some of their external linkages’ and that ‘poor nations must ensure that their voice is heard at international fora _’ as if this is not already nauseous enough! It is difficult to get away from the feeling that there is more than an element of paternalism in the author’s views. Dr Riddell’s book is easy to read and he has put together a most useful bibliography. The diagrams are imaginative and helpful, and the book is handsomely produced despite a few typographical errors. Chia Lin Sien Oepurtmenr o/ Geogruph.v, Singapore

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