Desertification occurs when humans use the land to an extent that it becomes vulnerable to erosion by wind and water. These include:.
-Cultivation of land with unsuitable terrain or soils.
-Deforestation without adequate replanting, done for farming use.
-Improper soil and water resource management - leads to increased erosion, salinisation and water logging of soil.
-Overgrazing - too many livestock on too little land area.
The problem is mainly because of the increasing intensity of land use associated with rapid population growth and high population densities. Poverty is a related issue, as the poor are often forced by their desperate situation to exploit the lands beyond what would normally be considered as a sustainable level of use. When coined with prolonged periods of below average rainfall, famines are often the tragic outcome. Land degradation and incidence of famine are two of the major factors contributing to the increasing problem of environmental refugees. .
Africa is particularly vulnerable to land degradation. In the harsh climate, marginally productive land easily becomes sterile. Prolonged droughts, lasting for two to three years, are common over two-thirds of the continent. Even in "normal" years, rainfall is very unreliable and is some seasons it does not occur at all. Throughout much of he region rainfall has been below average for the last 15 to 20 years. Some experts argue that this prolonged drought reflects a change in the region's climate, brought about by the large-scale removal of the natural vegetation.
The spread of deserts is not limited to Africa - it is now a global problem affecting two-thirds of the world's nations. It impacts of the livelihood of at least 850 000 000 people. The earth's poorer nations are not the only ones affected, although they may be the worst off. It is estimated that 1.7 billion tones annually is either washed or blown away each year.
Desertification is the expansion of desert lands into previously non-desert areas. ... It is a misconception that droughts cause desertification. ... Desertification drains an arid or semiarid land of its life-supporting capabilities. ... By preventing the growing of food, desertification can lead to famine and poverty. ... The area at risk to desertification is thus large and likely to increase. ...
Africa has been plagued by drought and desertification for nearly two years. ... "Developing knowledge and information for regions prone to drought and desertification." ... The second objective of Agenda 21 on drought and desertification is to help keep plantation and forests, in those countries that are not yet severely affected by drought and desertification, flourishing and growing. ... "Developing anti-desertification plans and implementing into "national development plans... Developing plans of action prior to drought and desertification is the main basis of this program. ...
Desertification is another leading contribute to the loss of water. ... (Scientific Facts on Desertification) Water is the most vital component of life and without water we would cease to exist. ... Desertification happens when there are not enough trees and greens to keep shade so the water does not evaporate too quickly into the air. It is a misconception that droughts cause desertification. ... However if the land isn't kept then the chance of desertification is high, then rainfall will be useless in these particular areas. ...
As time has passed, the land has become more and more vulnerable to erosion and desertification. ... Agriculture and rangeland practices are the main causes of erosion and desertification. ... The great plain is in danger of desertification more or less than a century or two from now. But the cause of desertification is not only animal based. ... By realizing what is going on, one can help slow the process of desertification and erosion down. ...
Desertification is already happening in the Sahel. ... As the climate gets hotter there's increased risk of forest fires, causing deforestation and desertification. ... Over gazing is reducing vegetation cover, causing desertification. ... This contributes to desertification by depleting water levels. It also reduces water availability for farms, reducing their productivity, which leads to desertification spreading and a bigger demand for food. ...
Currently, desertification is the major effect from human movement in the Sahara Desert (Tachi, R., & Giron, M., 2012). Desertification is a form of land degradation in which land becomes more arid, losing water, soil fertility, vegetation, and animals (Tachi, R., & Giron, M., 2012). ... Over-grazing is an issue with contributes to desertification and the negative effects on the ecosystem because the nomads allow their livestock consume all the available vegetation leaving nothing for other wildlife (Nabi, A., 2012). ... Conclusion In conclusion, it is shown that human movement is affecting th...
The ongoing degradation of the earth's soils by human activity such as urbanization, deforestation, overgrazing of cattle, and poor agricultural practices has brought about irreversible consequences that may lead to desertification of an area. ... Without it, vegetation won't thrive leading to the desertification of certain areas. ...
The Global discourse at the time linked the tendency of individual herders to maximize the size of their herds to the increasing levels of desertification. The blame for this wasput directly onto the herders, as a result of their presumed mismanagement (Fratkin: 1997: 34) The ADB (Asian Development Bank) made statements to the affect that "before 1990, there was little regard for environmental concerns in Mongolia and as a result, the country is seeing increased water and air pollution, deposits of toxic wastes, desertification, deforestation, groundwater depletion, soil erosion, ...
How I Can Improve the Quality of the Environment Our environment is a major aspect of our life today. Many of us don't take our Earth seriously and think that as long as pollution doesn't hurt us then we can go ahead and throw garbage on the ground or spill oil down the drain. Well too man...