DESERTIFICATION
Concept
of Desertification.
There is
an oversimplication that desertification is caused by a long-term decline in
rainfall and aided by human activities
such as overgrazing ], burning and deforestation.
Desertification suggests an irreversible
conversion of non-desert conversion of
non-desert whereas degradation implies
quite severe changes, but changes which can be reversed after a few rainy
reasons and careful management. In addition degradation implies the use of resource in a non-sustainable way.
If agriculture is not sustainable, land degradation would take place.
It refers to the evolution and
formation of deserts. It is the creation of desert-like conditions in an area,
which previously supported plant life.
It as well refers to the depletion of vegetation and soils in arid
lands, leading t desert-like conditions.
It results in the reduction of the
biological potential of the land, and therefore reduces the potential of the
land to produce food
Definitions.
UNCOD (United Nations
Environment Programme World Conference
on Desertification) defined desertification as a
reduction ‘in the biological productivity of the land leading ultimately to
desert like conditions.[1]
Process of
Desertification.
- It begins with a decline in the vegetation cover over the land.
- This can be the outcome of climatic drought or removal of vegetation by different human activities. When the ground has little or no vegetation cover, it means that there is less organic matter to maintain the soil.
- Organic matter helps the soil to hold water and nutrients. The soil is unprotected if the land has little or no vegetation cover.
- The land dries up and hardens, preventing water to sink. The removal of soil cover, loss of nutrients, loss of surface and ground water, may all be part of desertification, which leads to land degradation.
- Land degradation by itself refers to the reduction of fertility and other good qualities of the topsoil and it is largely brought about by various human activities.
The Spread of Desert.
® Desertification
is becoming a major problem in the Global level.
® One
third of the world ‘s population and one –quarter of the total area of the land
is
affected by it.
® The most
areas which are in risk of desert in Africa are all areas south of Sahara,
the
Sahel
region and the countries located in this region include Burkina Faso,
Mauritania,
Senegal, Mali, Niger and Chad.
® Other
African countries affected by desertification include Sudan, Somalia,
Ethiopia,
Benin and parts of Niger and Kenya. In these areas rainfall ranges from
100 mm to
500 mm.
EmoticonEmoticon