What is the pattern of desertification in Africa?
There is a notable geographic pattern of desertification in Africa, covering many areas of mostly savannah land that already border existing deserts. The Sahel region – a semi-arid area that spans much of western Africa, and is stretched out along the southern side of the Sahara Desert, is one of these areas.
How much land is affected by desertification each year?
The U.N. estimates about 30 million acres of land across the globe are impacted by desertification every year. The most vulnerable region is a 3,000-mile stretch of land that includes ten countries in the Sahel region of Africa. The Sahel is the area between the Saharan Desert and the Sudanian Savannah.
Which country in Africa is most affected by desertification?
The issue is seen in many parts of the world, but it is most prevalent in Africa. The country that is arguably the most damaged by desertification is Senegal. Migrations in Senegal are common, as wind erosion, deforestation and climate change wreaks havoc on farms and livestock.
What is the main cause of desertification?
Desertification is a process that destroys fertile land. This can be caused by drought, overpopulation, over-farming, deforestation and climate change. The effects of desertification are seen in many parts of the world, but is predominantly in India, Australia, Asia and Africa.
What region of Africa is affected by desertification?
SahelianPractically every country of Africa is prone to desertification, but the Sahelian countries at the southern fringe of the Sahara are particularly vulnerable. Only about 19% of Niger is non-desert and of this 17% belongs to high and very high vulnerability classes.
Why is there desertification in Africa?
Poverty-related agricultural practices are a major contributor to desertification. Continuous cultivation without adding supplements, overgrazing, lack of soil and water conservation structures, and indiscriminate bushfires aggravate the process of desertification.
What region is most impacted by desertification?
The global reach of desertification Africa is the continent most affected by desertification, and one of the most obvious natural borders on the landmass is the southern edge of the Sahara desert.
Why are areas in Africa at risk of drought and desertification?
Inappropriate farming systems such as continuous cultivation without adding any supplements, overgrazing, poor land management practices, lack of soil and water conservation structures, and high incidence of indiscriminate bushfires lead to land degradation and aggravate the process of desertification.
What is desertification in South Africa?
South Africa ratified it on 28 September 1997. Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations. Desertification does not refer to the expansion of existing deserts.
Where is deforestation happening Africa?
One of the countries mostly affected by severe droughts is Kenya in East Africa, where deforestation rates increased incrementally in recent years. Furthermore, a lack in soil cover would expose the terrain to soil erosion and degradation.
Why is desertification in Ethiopia?
Ethiopian land which falls within the UNEP's definition of desertification is estimated to cover 71.5% of the country's total land area. Overgrazing, deforestation, poor farming practices and using dung for fuel are the major causes of land degradation in Ethiopia.
What places are facing desertification?
These regions – representing around 14 million hectares – show high sensitivity to desertification. Thirteen Member States have declared themselves affected by desertification under UNCCD: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.
Which climate regions are most prone to desertification?
"The greatest risk of desertification (7.6 out of 10 on a scale produced using various desertification indicators) is in the subtropical desert regions -- North Africa, the countries of the Middle East, Australia, South West China and the western edge of South America," the scientist explains.
Why are some areas at risk of desertification?
The main causes of desertification include: Population growth - the population in some desert areas is increasing. In places where there are developments in mining and tourism, people are attracted by jobs. An increased population is putting greater pressure on the environment for resources such as wood and water.
Which areas in Africa are at risk of drought?
Niger and Chad indicate the highest drought risk ratios among other African countries, which is attributed to substantial population growth as well as increasing drought hazard due to climate change.
How does desertification affect East Africa?
The degradation of drylands in Africa is forcing people who can no longer make a living off the land to move to urban areas. According to the UN Population Division, the population of Lagos, Nigeria, will grow from 13.4 million in 2000 to 23.2 million in 2015, partly due to an influx of displaced rural communities.
What is the main cause of deforestation in Africa?
The conversion of forest land to agriculture, both subsistence and commercial, is by far the most common and most destructive cause of deforestation in Africa and other tropical regions.
What are the 3 main 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 number 1 reason for deforestation in Africa?
Causes of Deforestation In Africa. The most important driver of forest loss in Africa is industrial activities rather than human activities such as subsistence agriculture, often using slash-and-burn / fallow techniques to clear land. This usually involves cutting trees for sale as timber or pulp.
When did desertification start in Africa?
Called CLIMBER-2 (for CLIMate and BiosphERe, version 2.1), the model led to the conclusion that the desertification of North Africa began abruptly 5,440 years ago (+/- 30 years). Before that time, the Sahara was covered by annual grasses and low shrubs, as evidenced by fossilized pollen.
What are the effects of desertification in Africa?
Desertification is a process that destroys fertile land. This can be caused by drought, overpopulation, over-farming, deforestation and climate change. The effects of desertification are seen in many parts of the world, but is predominantly in India, Australia, Asia and Africa.
Which country is most affected by desertification?
The issue is seen in many parts of the world, but it is most prevalent in Africa. The country that is arguably the most damaged by desertification is Senegal. Migrations in Senegal are common, as wind erosion, deforestation and climate change wreaks havoc on farms and livestock.
How much land is deserted in India?
More than six million acres of land in India are turned into a desert-like state annually. The U.N. estimates about 30 million acres of land across the globe are impacted by desertification every year. The most vulnerable region is a 3,000-mile stretch of land that includes ten countries in the Sahel region of Africa.
Why is agriculture so poor in Africa?
Agriculture in Africa tends to result in low productivity, as most of the land is characterized as a semi-desert. Clearing the land of trees also reduces the structure of the soil. Coupled with wind erosion, the topsoil blows away and leaves a desert-like land.
What is the most vulnerable region in Africa?
The most vulnerable region is a 3,000-mile stretch of land that includes ten countries in the Sahel region of Africa. The Sahel is the area between the Saharan Desert and the Sudanian Savannah. This region is under constant stress due to frequent droughts and soil erosion.
Where is Desertification Happening?
Approximately 42 percent of the planet is covered by dry land. With so much of our world covered by this specific ecosystem, it is important to draw attention to the environmental issues which affect it. Desertification, for instance, can be described as the process in which dryland is degraded permanently. This is caused by human activity such as deforestation and over-cultivation. With such a large global impact, desertification is something worth paying attention to. However, it can be challenging to understand how this issue affects the planet. Furthermore, the question still stands: where is desertification happening?
How can we stop desertification in Africa?
One ambitious initiative created to reduce desertification in Africa is the Great Green Wall. Once completed, the Great Green Wall will be the largest living structure on the planet, spanning more than 4,500 miles across the entire Sahel. The idea is that planting trees can combat desertification, create jobs, improve food security and bring migrated populations back home. The initiative began in 2007 and has already planted 12 million trees in Senegal. The wall prevents the Saharan Desert from encroaching on land most affected by desertification in Africa, while simultaneously reducing soil erosion. More than 37 million acres of degraded land in Ethiopia was restored as a result of this initiative.
How many people will flee the Sahara Desert by 2020?
In sub-Saharan Africa, desertification may force up to 50 million people to flee their homes by 2020. Since 1923, the Sahara Desert has expanded by 10 percent, especially affecting people living in the Sahel region. Dryland covers 65 percent of the African continent, and 70 to 80 percent of people in Ethiopia and Kenya are threatened by desertification. However, The Great Green Wall, established in 2007, is helping to end desertification in Africa.
How much of the world is affected by desertification?
With the exception of Antarctica, desertification affects every continent. According to the UNEP (United Nations Environment Program), 36 million square miles of the world are currently affected by this. Land that is susceptible to desertification can become uninhabitable if not managed with sustainable environmental practices.
How does desertification affect the world?
Desertification is a process that destroys fertile land. This can be caused by drought, overpopulation, over-farming, deforestation and climate change . The effects of desertification are seen in many parts of the world, but is predominantly in India, Australia, Asia and Africa. More than six million acres of land in India are turned into a desert-like state annually. The U.N. estimates about 30 million acres of land across the globe are impacted by desertification every year.
What is the largest desert in the world?
The Sahara desert is already the largest desert in the world, stretching 3,320,000 square miles across the northern part of the continent. However, due to the effects of desertification in Africa, the Sahara desert continues to grow and consume fertile lands around it.
How many countries are affected by desertification?
The risk of desertification is widespread and spans more than 100 countries, hitting some of the poorest and most vulnerable populations the hardest, since subsistence farming is common across many of the affected regions. More than 75 percent of Earth's land area is already degraded, according to the European Commission's World Atlas ...
What would happen if the Mediterranean was arid?
The Mediterranean region would experience a drastic transformation with warming of 2 degrees Celsius, according to one study, with all of southern Spain becoming desert. Another recent study found that the same level of warming would result in "aridification," or drying out, of up to 30 percent of Earth's land surface.
How many people will live in the drylands by 2030?
About 2 billion people live on the drylands that are vulnerable to desertification, which could displace an estimated 50 million people by 2030.
What is the term for the permanent degradation of land that was once arable?
As global temperatures rise and the human population expands, more of the planet is vulnerable to desertification, the permanent degradation of land that was once arable. While interpretations of the term desertification vary, the concern centers on human-caused land degradation in areas with low or variable rainfall known as drylands: arid, ...
Why are mesquite trees planted in Africa?
However, the results for these types of restoration efforts so far have been mixed. One type of mesquite tree planted in East Africa to buffer against desertification has proved to be invasive and problematic. The Great Green Wall initiative in Africa has evolved away from the idea of simply planting trees and toward the idea of " re-greening ," or supporting small farmers in managing land to maximize water harvesting (via stone barriers that decrease water runoff, for example) and nurture natural regrowth of trees and vegetation.
What are the causes of soil degradation?
This degradation tends to be driven by a number of factors, including urbanization, mining, farming, and ranching. In the course of these activities, trees and other vegetation are cleared away, animal hooves pound the dirt, and crops deplete nutrients in the soil.
How much of the Earth's surface is degraded?
More than 75 percent of Earth's land area is already degraded, according to the European Commission's World Atlas of Desertification, and more than 90 percent could become degraded by 2050.
Where in Africa is desertification felt?
Nowhere in Africa are the effects of desertification felt as in the arid, semi-arid and sub-humid lands. These drylands lie mostly along the fringes of the two great deserts in the continent the Sahara and the Kalahari where the average annual precipitation is between 100mm and 600mm and where the ecology is largely based on crop and livestock farming activities.
How much of Africa is under desertification?
It has been estimated that 34% of the surface area of Africa is under the threat of desertification. This is equivalent to four-fifths of the ASAL areas of Africa. Desertification affects three principal areas of the continent, namely, Mediterranean Africa, the Sudano-Sahelian region and Africa south of the Sudano-Sahelian.
What is the problem of rapidly increasing population pressures on the fragile and vulnerable soils of Africa?
This problem of rapidly increasing population pressures on the fragile and vulnerable soils of Africa’s dryland regions translates into overexploitation of water, land, forest and pasture resources through overcultivation, overgrazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices. The resulting erosion and degradation of productive lands has led to food insecurity.
Why are droughts and famines occurring in Africa?
Nor are they simply caused by lack of rainfall. They are the end-results of a long deterioration in the ability of Africa to feed itself, a decline caused largely by mistakes and mismanagement – both inside and outside the continent.
Why are there constraints in Africa?
Lack of financial resources from external donors have also created constraints. Like African governments, donors prefer projects that will yield quick visible results that can easily be economically quantified. UNEP also found that several countries suffering from desertification in Africa lack adequate national legislation to stop the human-induced causes of the problem.
Why are people forced to abandon their land in Africa?
In increasing numbers, people are forced to abandon their land because it can no longer sustain them and migrate to other regions or to urban slums. This problem of environmental refugees and the widespread socio-political upheavals in many African countries today are a foretaste of what we can expect if we do not halt desertification.
What is the cause of environmental degradation in Africa?
The second and perhaps the most important cause of environmental degradation in the ASAL is the rapidly increasing human and animal population pressure, leading to overexploitation of and intensified stresses on the natural resources. The human population in Africa’s ASAL has doubled in the past three decades to nearly 400 million and continues to expand at a rate of three percent a year. This means that the ASAL’s natural resources must feed an additional 12 million people every year, good weather or bad.
Desertification in Senegal and Beyond
The Great Green Wall
- One ambitious initiative created to reduce desertification in Africa is the Great Green Wall. Once completed, the Great Green Wall will be the largest living structure on the planet, spanning more than 4,500 miles across the entire Sahel. The idea is that planting trees can combat desertification, create jobs, improve food security and bring migrated populations back home. T…
Will Desertification Halt Or slow?
- As climate change continues to place a burden on poor farmers in the Sahel region, scientists and initiatives, like the Great Green Wall, continue to restore the region to its original structure. The Great Green Wall is growing every month. Its ambitious goals for 2030 express that their work will not slow in Africa. The greatest impact of these solutions lies in preventing further desertificatio…