Numerous studies have long proved that the amount of fertile land on our planet is declining every year. According to rough estimates of scientists, over the past century, about a quarter of the land suitable for cultivation has failed. This article will discuss what desertification is, as well as the reasons for its occurrence and its impact on the global ecosystem.
General concept
The very concept of “desertification” has several synonyms. In particular, it is also called desertification, Sahelian syndrome and the progressive formation of deserts. This phenomenon refers to the process of land degradation that occurs in different parts of the world. The main causes of desertification, which are distinguished by scientists, are human activity and global climate change. As a result, zones arise in certain regions of the planet where environmental conditions become similar to desert ones. Each year, due to this problem, about twelve million hectares of fertile land disappear on Earth. Moreover, scientists from all over the world note the constant progression of this trend.
Recognition of the problem
For the first time, mankind realized the seriousness of the problem and started talking about desertification in the early seventies of the last century. The reason was a severe drought in the Sahel African natural zone , which led to a catastrophic famine in the region. As a result, in 1977, a conference was held in Nairobi (the capital of Kenya) under the auspices of the UN, the main theme of which was to identify the main causes and measures to combat land degradation.
The main types of human intervention
As noted above, there are two main causes of desertification - the natural factor and human activities. While mankind cannot affect the first of them in any way, the situation can be greatly improved due to the second. The most common activities that lead to the progressive formation of deserts are grazing, overuse and irrational use of arable land, as well as massive deforestation in the arid regions of the planet.
Pets
At the above-mentioned UN conference, scientists agreed that eating livestock by livestock is the most common form of human intervention in nature, leading to desertification. In this case, the fact is implied that now, as well as more than thirty years ago, the number of grazed animals per unit of land in areas with an arid climate is significantly overestimated. This leads to the fact that the vegetation cover is constantly thinning, and the soil is loosening. This results in soil erosion, deterioration of plant development conditions and desertification of the land.
Irrational use of arable land
This factor is second in its scope and disastrousness. More specifically, it consists in reducing the periods of rest of the land, as well as plowing plots located on the slopes, which leads to increased soil erosion and reduction of vegetation cover. The situation is aggravated by the uncontrolled use of pesticides, due to which soil fertilizer is produced. In addition, heavy agricultural machines working on them compact the soil, which results in the death of useful species of living things (for example, earthworms).
Deforestation
Another area of human activity that leads to the occurrence of the Sahelian Syndrome is massive deforestation. The most common places where desertification occurs for this reason are densely populated African regions, in which in our time wood is the most important energy source. They are also considered one of the most arid regions of our planet. The fact is that the local residents' need for wood for heating and construction, as well as the destruction of forests to increase the amount of arable land, has led to the emergence of this global problem.
Natural factor
In addition to human activities, there are natural causes of desertification. Under the influence of wind erosion, a decrease in cohesion and salinization of soils, as well as due to flushing with water, it only progresses. Among other things, a progressive desert formation occurs under the influence of fluctuations in the natural amount of precipitation, when their prolonged absence leads not only to development, but also to the beginning of this harmful process.
Country impact
Speaking of what desertification is, one cannot but note its negative impact on the economic development of many states. Some time ago, representatives of the World Bank conducted research on one of the countries located in the Sahel natural zone. Their results showed that a decrease in the amount of natural resources caused a reduction in its GDP by twenty percent. According to data from another source, the total annual amount of funds that the states suffering from this problem receive is about 42 billion US dollars. Another detrimental consequence of desertification was the constant occurrence of interstate conflicts due to residents violating the borders of neighboring countries in search of water and food.
Impact on people
Desertification areas are characterized by a significant reduction in agricultural productivity, as well as a poor list of crops. Every year, their ecosystem is ever worse able to satisfy basic human needs. In addition, the regions that were in the sphere of its influence were characterized by an increase in the number of sandstorms, the result of which is the development of eye infections, allergies and respiratory diseases in local residents.
All this, in turn, cannot fail to appear detrimental to people living not only in these areas, but also beyond them. The fact is that the Sahel syndrome leads to a deterioration in the quality of drinking water, siltation of existing water bodies, as well as an increase in sedimentary deposits in lakes and rivers. Among other things, such an industry as food production suffers. Against the background of the growing population of the planet, this can lead to hunger or malnutrition.
Ways to fight
Speaking about what desertification is, it should be noted that combating such a problem is very problematic. In order to effectively counteract the occurrence of the Sahel Syndrome, it is necessary to take a whole range of measures, which includes the economic, agricultural, climatic, political and social aspects.
One of the most promising and discussed ways to overcome this problem is considered to be tree planting on arable land. This allows to reduce the development of wind erosion and to reduce the evaporation of moisture from the soil. In addition, there are local measures to improve this situation. Building walls made of clay or stone around fields with fodder plants is considered quite effective. At the same time, a height of 30-40 centimeters will be enough to delay precipitation. Most importantly, the local population should have at least an elementary concept of how to care for these peculiar dams.
Potential problems
To summarize, it should be emphasized that topics such as desertification, measures to combat it and ways to prevent it have recently become the main agenda of all kinds of conferences held by the UN. This is not surprising, since soil degradation could potentially affect about one billion inhabitants of our planet, as well as a third of all existing agricultural lands. First of all, this applies to Africa, Australia, South Asia, as well as certain regions of Southern Europe.