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An attempt is made in this paper to investigate into the extent, causes and implication of land degradation in cold arid eco-region of Ladakh. The excessive and unsystematic exploitation of meager natural resources with inadequate replenishment in cold arid region has gradually been instrumental in accelerating the long-lasting damages to the natural environment thereby threatening the delicate and fragile eco- balance in cold arid region. An estimate of the extent of land degradation revealed that the unavailability of water is the main precursor for inciting degradation followed by water erosion (particularly gully/sheet/rill erosion and loss of top soil through mismanagement), salinity and alkalinity and land slides. The problem of soil salinity is mostly confined to the areas adjacent to rivers and in some slopy lands. The pressure on these pastures has increased tremendously due to increasing livestock population, besides shifting of livestock by nomadic Gujjars and Bakarwals to these pastures during summer. This has caused extensive depletion...