hubert weiger: the basic message here is that we have to preserve land, not just as a means of subsistence, but also maintain it. we have to put an end to the worldwide destruction of farmland in the interests of our own survival. >> the consequences of that destruction are easy enough to see. dry, cracked and barren soil: when the ground suffers, the plants, people and animals which depend upon it suffer too. soil is one of nature's most complex ecosystems, containing a plethora of different organisms, all interacting together to make life possible. that ecosystem is now under threat the world over. all over the world, farmers with fields on hillsides have to struggle with water erosion. they clear trees to gain space to plant crops and graze livestock. but with the tree roots gone, there's nothing to keep the rain from washing the topsoil away, the most fertile layer. this process is already far advanced on myanmar's inle lake. the farmers on the hillside above are losing arable land, and the lake is silting up. when the water level's low, many of the famous stilt houses can hardly be re