The results show that the four main causes of the Sahelian droughts are as follows: sea surface temperature changes, vegetation and land degradation, dust feedbacks and human-induced climate change .
Why is the Sahel region suffering?
The Sahel region is also suffering the effects of climate change . Unpredictable weather patterns, droughts, floods and land degradation have jeopardized agriculture and livestock activities in a region where the majority of the population live off the land.
Is the Sahel prone to drought?
Unfortunately, this is a region which often suffers highly erratic rainfall. Droughts in the Sahel don’t last a month or a year , they last for decades. And these long droughts have occurred regularly over the past 12,000 years. The region is in one of these droughts now – scientists say it started in the 1960s.
Why is the Sahel so dry?
Changes in the surface temperature of the oceans
For most of the year, it does not rain at all. ... By contrast, a cooler ocean would feed less moisture to the monsoon, and end up drying the land. Both these phenomena are implicated in the drying of the Sahel that emerged in the early 1970s.
What does the Sahel suffer from?
Sahelian landscape near Zinder, Niger. In the second half of the 20th century, the Sahel was increasingly afflicted by soil erosion and desertification resulting from growing human populations that made more demands upon the land than previously.
What’s happening in the Sahel?
The arid belt of the Sahel stretches from Senegal on the coast of West Africa to Djibouti on the east. Hundreds of millions of people call the region home, but for years, this area has suffered the effects of frequent drought, desertification and other symptoms of a changing climate.
Is the Sahel poor?
With up to 80% of its people living on less than $2 a day, poverty is more widespread in the Sahel than in most other parts of Africa. The Sahel’s population growth rate also is among the world’s highest. ... Poor governance does not help.
How can we stop desertification in the Sahel?
- 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.
How long was the Sahel drought?
After that, a very wet period set in for around 25 years, followed by a return to drier conditions. While the drying begun around 1895 and caused its first large famine only in the early 20th century, the 1820s and 1830s saw a 12 to 15-year drought and regional instances of major famine from Senegal to Chad.
Why is Sahel important?
The Sahel is endowed with great potential for renewable energy and sits atop some of the largest aquifers on the continent. Potentially one of the richest regions in the world with abundant human, cultural and natural resources.
How has desertification affected the Sahel?
A massive drought had affected the Sahel, the large 5,400-km strip that crosses Africa from west to east, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. The land was left without water and without a blade of grass, and the inhabitants of this vast area of four million km2, mostly shepherds, saw all their livestock die.
Is the Sahel getting drier?
Africa has been warming progressively since the start of the last century, and in the next five years, northern and southern Africa are set to get drier and hotter , while the Sahel region of Western Africa will get wetter, WMO’s Regional Strategic Office Director, Filipe Lucio, told a press conference.
Which is a better response to drought?
Soaking rains are the best medicine to alleviate drought. Water that enters the soil recharges ground water, which in turn sustains vegetation and feeds streams during periods when it is not raining.
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 Sahel crisis?
The Sahel region of West Africa was in the grips of a drought, food and refugee crisis caused by a combination of erratic rainfall , failed harvests, soaring market prices and insecurity. Vulnerable people in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, Mauritania, Senegal, and The Gambia were at risk of severe hunger.
What is the climate of Sahel?
The climate of the Sahel is arid and hot, with strong seasonal variations in rainfall and temperature . The Sahel receives about 200-600 mm (6-20 in) of rainfall a year, which falls mostly in the May to September monsoon season.
