Desertification

Desertification is the expansion of dry lands due to

poor agricultural practices (e.g. overgrazing,
degradation of soil fertility and structure), improper
soil moisture management, salinization and erosion,
forest removal, and climate change.
 Desertification
“Land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry
sub-humid areas, resulting from various
factors including climatic variability and
human activities”

UNEP 1992
• A definition of desertification should recognize
that it is a land degradation process that involves
a continuum of change, from slight to very
severe degradation of the plant and soil
resource, and is due to man's activities.
• Desertification is also a situation on the desert
expansion. That means desert is continuously
expanding to the surrounding area.
• The UNCED defined desertification as
land degradation in the arid, semi-arid,
and sub-humid areas resulting from
various factors, including climatic
variations and human activities.
• World arid lands by continent
• According to a UNEP estimate, 35 per cent of
the earth's land surface (4.5 billion ha) - an area
approximately the size of North and South
America combined - and the livelihoods of the
850 million people who inhabit that land are
under threat from desertification.
• Currently, each year some 21 million ha are
reduced to a state of near or complete
uselessness.
• These areas are subject to serious physical
constraints linked to inadequate water
resources, low plant formation productivity, and
general vulnerability of biological systems and
functions.
 Where?
• Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East,
western Asia, northern Mexico and south-
eastern South America, western United
States, prairies of Canada, and eastern
Australia. Scientists estimate that 60,000
square kilometers of new desert are now
annually created worldwide.
Dryland regions of the world (yellow)
These are sensitive to desertification

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 Causes on desertification
desertification
Climatic
Human factors
change

Impropriate
High pop. + Poor / poverty irrigation Global warming Less Rain
-salinization

Over grazing deforestation Over croping

 Cause
Human factors:
High population
-Deforestation---∵demand more
land and timber for cropping &
building, cutting down to tree
extensively
-Over cropping—-∵demand for
food crops↑ & the cash crops demanded
by MCDs ↑, ↑shifting cultivation, ↓soil
fertility, secondary growth
Poverty / poor
-Over grazing---∵LDCs have a large international debts,
the cheap labours & the extensive land in LDCs used by MDCs,
in order to pay the debts, →the extensive is suitable for grazing
(i.e., cattle )
 Cause
Impropriate irrigation
∴infiltration >E underground water table rises
salinization

Climatic change
-Global warmingCO2↑, T ↑, ice cap melt, flooding in
coastal area , ↓ rainfall, drought , veg. die

-Less Rainfall drought , veg. die

 Indicators of desertification
Physical indicators
• Decrease in soil depth
• Decrease in soil organic matter
• Decrease in soil fertility
• Soil crust formation/compaction
• Appearance/increase in frequency/severity of dust
sandstorms/dune formation and movement
• Salinization/ alkalinization
• Decline in quality and quantity of ground and surface
water
• Increased seasonality of springs and small streams
• Alteration in relative reflectance of land (albedo
change)
Phoenix, Arizona in the early 1970s

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 Biological indicators

• Vegetation
• Decrease in cover
• Decrease in above-ground biomass
• Decrease in yield
• Alteration of key species distribution and frequency
• Failure of species successfully to reproduce
• Animal
• Alteration in key species distribution and frequency
• Change in population of domestic animals
• Change in herd composition
• Decline in livestock production
• Decline in livestock yield
 Social/economic indicators
• Change in land use/water use
• Change in settlement pattern (e.g.
abandonment of villages)
• Change in population (biological) parameters
(demographic evidence, migration statistics,
public health information)
• Change in social process indicators -
increased conflict between groups/tribes,
marginalization, migration, decrease in
incomes and assets, change in relative
dependence on cash crops/subsistence
crops
 Effects on desertification
desertification

Atmosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere Biosphere

-local climate -water cycle -loss of arable -extinction of

salinization plants &
↓R” breaks down
animals
drought -land intensify the
-↓biodiversity
-macro climate soil erosion
global warming

Upset the balance of ecosystem

 Effects
Atmosphere
1) Micro
(i)↓R”+↑T° ↑T in day time &↓ T in night
time↑ET/reflection ↑diurnal range of T°
(ii) ↑wind speed  ∵no veg cover / shelter
(iii) ↓relative humidity

2)Macro
(i)Global warming
(ii)Sandstormexpanding of desert
 Effects
Lithosphere
1)loss of arable land
soil texture change to sandy  ↓cohesive
power (cannot hold water) not suitable for
veg growth

2)intensify the soil erosion

1.↑ deforestationno root to bind the soil
 ↑ soil erosion↑ silting
 Effects
Hydrosphere
1)Water cycle breaks down
∵↓R” & ↑ evaporation(∵ no shelter)
 rivers and wells dried up

Biosphere
1)lower the bio-diversity
∵↓R” & unevenly dis.+deforestation
scattered veg. (veg. Is shorter, few
species, less luxuriant)extinction
 Effects

Others
1)lower the income
∵R” ↓ crops productivity ↓,

2)use a large amt of $ for soil protection &

recovery
(i.e. UNCED us$1,060m per yr to recover the
deserted land)
 How can we solve the
problems of desertification?
 LDCs
1.Control the pop. growth / natural increase
in order to decrease the land use capacity

2.The number of grazing and the rate of

cultivation should not over the carrying
capacity of land
3. improve i)farming & ii)grazing methods,
in other to reduce soil erosion and
salinization
i) suitable timing and amount to carry out irrigation
plant the halophytes (which can adapt salty &
drought soil)
4.Legislation: band the deforestation and over
grazing, etc. , in order to balance the ecosystem
of desert.

5.afforestation i.e. plant the wind break trees &

drought resistant plants

7. Building reservoir and canal , (e.g, The Indira

Gandhi Canal)
 MDCs
1) international aid (e.g.,Green Peace)
technology, low interest rate of loan &
education
2) scientific research e.g World Association of Soil
and Water Conservation (WASWC)
Both citizens in MDCs & LDCs have
Responsibility

i) 5R(reuse, reduce, renew, recycle, rethink)

ii) Fund raising
 Conclusion

The effectiveness of preventing desertification

is depended on the cooperation of MDCs &
LDCs.