Desertification has caused major environmental and socioeconomic problems in many arid and semiarid areas of the world 1 . It causes soil degradation and severely reduces potential land productivity 2 – 4 , which causes degradation of the ecosystem and its associated ecosystem services.
How does desertification affect the environment?
World Atlas of Desertification
Desertification, an extreme form of land degradation, is a global phenomenon that is influenced by and has an impact on climate change and biodiversity loss . Land degradation causes a decline in land productivity and is therefore likely to lead to increased levels of poverty.
What are the negative impacts of desertification?
The moisture content in the area decreases and soil becomes more vulnerable to both wind erosion and water ero- sion, resulting in problems like decreased water quality, increased sediment deposits, flooding, and dust storms .
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 ...
How has desertification impacted the world?
“The [result is] declines in crop and livestock productivity, loss of biodiversity, increasing chances of wildfires in certain areas . Naturally, these will have negative impacts on food security and livelihoods, especially in developing countries.”
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 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 affect 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. ... the spread of infectious diseases as populations migrate.
What is the cause and effect of desertification?
“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 .
How does desertification affect the 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.
What are the 5 consequences of desertification?
outside the immediately affected areas–downstream flooding, reduced water quality, sedimentation in rivers and lakes, silt sediment in reservoirs and navigation channels, dust storms and sand drifting ; Consequences of desertification (Cont.)
What can we do to stop desertification?
- 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.
Why is it important to stop desertification?
Desertification diminishes biological diversity , a diversity which contributes to many of the services provided to humans by dryland ecosystems. Vegetation and its diversity are key for soil conservation and for the regulation of surface water and local climate.
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 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.
Where does desertification mostly occur?
More specifically, desertification plays its largest role in the grasslands of East Africa, the Kalahari Desert and the Sahara Desert . These regions span over 65 percent of the land. In Ethiopia, 80 percent of the land is at risk of desertification.
