“Desertification is a type of land degradation in which a relatively dry land region becomes increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife. It is caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities .
What are the effects of desertification on humans?
Land degradation and desertification can affect human health through complex pathways. As land is degraded and deserts expand in some places, food production is reduced , water sources dry up and populations are pressured to move to more hospitable areas.
What are the bad effects of desertification?
The adverse effects of desertification also include floods in heavy rainfall regions, land, water, and air pollution, storms and several other natural disasters , all of which can be fatal to human life. Also, due to desertification, the soil becomes unsuitable for agriculture, and there may be a huge loss of food.
What are the causes and consequences of droughts and desertification?
Drought and desertification are closely related phenomena. ... Inappropriate land use, such as monocultures, and unsustainable land management practices, such as deforestation , unsuitable agricultural practices and overexploitation of water resources), can cause land degradation that can be further aggravated by drought.
What are 3 causes of desertification?
Human activities that contribute to desertification include the expansion and intensive use of agricultural lands, poor irrigation practices, deforestation, and overgrazing . These unsustainable land uses place enormous pressure on the land by altering its soil chemistry and hydrology.
What is the main reason of desertification?
‘Climatic variations’ and ‘Human activities’ can be regarded as the two main causes of desertification. removal of the natural vegetation cover(by taking too much fuel wood), agricultural activities in the vulnerable ecosystems of arid and semi-arid areas, which are thus strained beyond their capacity.
How can desertification be prevented?
- Planting more trees – the roots of trees hold the soil together and help to reduce soil erosion from wind and rain.
- Improving the quality of the soil – this can be managed by encouraging people to reduce the number of grazing animals they have and grow crops instead.
What are 7 consequences of desertification?
In addition, the delegates considered the varied consequences of desertification, such as crop failures or decreased yields in rain-fed farmland, the loss of perennial plant cover and thus loss of forage for livestock, reduced woody biomass and thus scarcity of fuelwood and building materials, a decrease in potable ...
What are the effects of desertification on economy?
The impact of desertification on the socio-economic life of rural households leads to reduction in crop and animal production , as well as causing, livestock deaths and rise in the prices of foodstuffs.
Why is desertification a problem?
* Desertification is mainly a problem of sustainable development . Its causes include over-cropping, over-grazing, improper irrigation practices, and deforestation. Poor land management practices such as these often stem from the socioeconomic conditions in which the farmers live, and can be prevented.
What are 5 causes of drought?
- 1) Land and water temperatures cause drought. ...
- 2) Air circulation and weather patterns also cause drought. ...
- 3) Soil moisture levels also contribute to drought. ...
- 4) Drought can also be a supply and demand of water issue.
People are forced to migrate, with many people – young men in particular , leaving to work in cities and towns. This puts pressure on already limited urban resources. Disputes occur over land between herdsmen and farmers. Food shortages lead to malnutrition and famine, eg in Ethiopia.
What is the causes and consequences of drought?
A drought is caused by drier than normal conditions that can eventually lead to water supply problems . Really hot temperatures can make a drought worse by evaporating moisture from the soil. ... A drought is a prolonged period with less-than-average amounts of rain or snow in a particular region.
What are effects of drought?
Examples of drought impacts on society include anxiety or depression about economic losses , conflicts when there is not enough water, reduced incomes, fewer recreational activities, higher incidents of heat stroke, and even loss of human life. Drought conditions can also provide a substantial increase in wildfire risk.
What are the negative effects of drought and desertification?
degradation of the vegetal covering, through to its total disappearance ; dispersion of solid particles in the atmosphere – sand storms, air pollution – with a negative impact on man’s health and productive activities; reduction of farming and breeding production: malnutrition and hunger; migrations of people and wars.
What is desertification short answer?
Desertification refers to the process of fertile land becoming unproductive . This means that the land struggles to grow any type of vegetation due to lack of minerals and nutrients in the soil.
