Aspect 3: The effect desertification has on soils. Desertification is defined as the spread of desert conditions into areas which have not previously experienced such conditions. An example of this is the expansion of the Sahel desert, which moves south at an approximate speed of 10 kilometres per
The desertification results in unproductive farmland which increases the pressure to produce food even more. Desertification and climate change in drier areas causes severe water shortages and even droughts. Western culture has created an increase in urbanisation, population and industrialisation,
Often, desertification is the result of a number of causes or is provoked by one cause and intensified by others (Darkoh, 1996). Concrete analysis of an environmental situation and of the factors involved will make it possible to find national and international means to prevent and control desertification and ways of restoring the biological potential of the area. Both desertification prevention and control often require a combination of social, economic and technologically coordinated activities, constituting an overall plan of social and economic development for a particular territory. 1.4 Need to Control Desertification Desertification causes great human misery, starvation or malnutrition. Its symptoms are as follows (Sheridan, 1981): i) Degradation of native vegetation due to natural or manmade actions.
However, it is the balance between this air mass and other factors such as topography, continentality and sea currents that determine the climate (Noble & Gitay, 1996). No estimation available for the human population in extreme deserts, but, there are over 800 million people estimated in drylands, many of whom will be affected by climate change (Noble &
For example, steep slopes may be cultivated by landless poor people to produce their food. The main cause of land degradation in Ethiopia is soil erosion. The erosion in Ethiopian highlands, amounting to nearly one billion tons of soil lost each year is due to natural causes exacerbated by human activities, particularly overgrazing, over cultivation and deforestation. In addition, (Yohannes, 1999) reported that many environmentalists, policy makers and researchers agree that land degradation mainly caused by soil erosion has been one of the chronic problems in
Pollution and poverty go hand in hand in a vicious cycle, that is far from being broken. The poor are repeatedly blamed for America 's pollution and land degradation. Poverty is the true cause of land degradation. Land degradation is any change in the condition of the land which reduces its productive potential (Ema.com) The poor are vulnerable to have an impact on health due to land degradation. The poor rely on environmental resources.
It is salt accumulated in land and water that has severe impact on the environment (Office of Environment and Heritage.) Soil Salinity is an existing problem because it is very costly and has a huge impact on agriculture. According to the website Quantum BioTek, salinity can be caused for the following reasons: “high salt in the parent material and low rainfall (low leaching); high rainfall with poor internal drainage; a high water table that carries salt to the soil surface, and a high amount of salt being applied through chemicals, manure and poor quality irrigation water.” New ways are being researched so that soil salinity can be decreased and have a less impact on
Keywords: Degradation- Desertification- Arid- Semi-arid - Crisis Abstract: Desertification is a major problem all over the world in which it’s explained as “land degradation. Soil and plant covers is deteriorated almost about 50% internationally, in which it results as human misconduct of cultivation and land selections. Overgrazing and woodcutting are responsible for most of the desertification. Land degradation is commonly reversible except destruction is very severe or soils are weak. Absence of a food crisis in urbanized nations is one of the vital reasons.
Earth is facing many ecological problems, which have been present since mankind started using Earth’s resources for leisure rather than former survival needs; Humans have been using resources as means to grow their economy, since the Industrial Revolution, we have started to dump garbage into the seas, cut out entire forests, releasing insane amounts of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, only recently in the 1960s, Scientists have agreed that we are harming the planet we have, and if we do not stop, there might be some serious consequences, and some are already showing an impact on the world such as the melting of polar caps, overfishing, deforestation, and pollution. ‘’ The world environmental situation is likely to be further aggravated
Environmental issues have led to food shortages , clean water and shelter materials and other basic resources. Because of forests, land , air and water degradation and suffering from these natural resources than people who live in other effects . In developed countries , on the other hand , technical And facilities such as air filters, water and fuel , refined food industry production, stockpiling, relieve themselves from the effects of Environmental degradation. In developing countries , deforestation has devastating effects of specific environments. Many people in rural areas, especially in tropical areas and depend on forests Food and other resources , deforestation and damage or eliminate the source of these materials .