...continued from last post
PROBLEM
Desertification became well known in the 1930’s, when parts of the Great Plains turns into the “Dust Bowl” as a result of drought and poor practices in farming, although the term itself was not used until almost 1950.
“Dust Bowl” as result of drought
During the dust bowl period, millions of people were forced to abandon their farms and livelihoods. Greatly improved methods of agriculture and land and water management in the Great Plains Have prevented that disaster from recurring, but desertification presently affects millions of people in almost every continent. Increased population and livestock pressure on marginal lands has accelerated desertification. In some areas, nomads moving to less arid areas disrupt the local ecosystem and increase the rate of erosion of the land. Nomads are trying to escape the desert, but because of their land-use practices, they are bringing the desert with them. It is a misconception that drought cause desertification. Droughts are common in arid and semiarid lands. Well-managed lands can recover from drought when the rains return. Continued land abuse during droughts, however, increases land degradation. By 1973, the drought that began in 1968 in the Sahel of West Africa and the land-use practices there had caused the deaths of more than 100,000 people and 12 million cattle, as well as the disruption of social organizations from villages to the national levels.
CONTROL
Desertification can be controlled through effective management and policy approaches that promote sustainable resource use. Major policy intervention and changes in management approaches, both local and global levels, are needed in other to prevent, control, stop or reversing desertification. The creation of preventive measures that promotes alternative livelihood and conservation strategies can go a long way towards protecting drylands both when desertification is just beginning and when it is ongoing. It requires change in government and people’s attitude. Populations can prevent desertification by improving agricultural practices such as afforestation, shifting cultivation, crop rotation etc. and grazing practices in a sustainable way. Even once land has been degraded, rehabilitation and restoration measures such as controlling burning, alternative fuel source, fire traces etc., terracing prevents further gully erosion, pegging, ridges along slopes also check any further erosion and good irrigation system can help restore lost ecosystem services. The success of rehabilitation practices depends on the availability of policies and technologies and the close involvement of local communities. With all the causes and effects, desertification has poses one of the greatest environmental challenges today and constitutes a major barrier to meeting basic human needs. Effectively fighting desertification will help reduce global poverty and will contribute to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
REFERENCE
“Ecosystems and human well-being: Desertification Synthesis”, a report published in 2005 by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)
Thank you for your time
Be Eco-friendly
© Rufai Sunkanmi
PROBLEM
Desertification became well known in the 1930’s, when parts of the Great Plains turns into the “Dust Bowl” as a result of drought and poor practices in farming, although the term itself was not used until almost 1950.
“Dust Bowl” as result of drought
During the dust bowl period, millions of people were forced to abandon their farms and livelihoods. Greatly improved methods of agriculture and land and water management in the Great Plains Have prevented that disaster from recurring, but desertification presently affects millions of people in almost every continent. Increased population and livestock pressure on marginal lands has accelerated desertification. In some areas, nomads moving to less arid areas disrupt the local ecosystem and increase the rate of erosion of the land. Nomads are trying to escape the desert, but because of their land-use practices, they are bringing the desert with them. It is a misconception that drought cause desertification. Droughts are common in arid and semiarid lands. Well-managed lands can recover from drought when the rains return. Continued land abuse during droughts, however, increases land degradation. By 1973, the drought that began in 1968 in the Sahel of West Africa and the land-use practices there had caused the deaths of more than 100,000 people and 12 million cattle, as well as the disruption of social organizations from villages to the national levels.
CONTROL
Desertification can be controlled through effective management and policy approaches that promote sustainable resource use. Major policy intervention and changes in management approaches, both local and global levels, are needed in other to prevent, control, stop or reversing desertification. The creation of preventive measures that promotes alternative livelihood and conservation strategies can go a long way towards protecting drylands both when desertification is just beginning and when it is ongoing. It requires change in government and people’s attitude. Populations can prevent desertification by improving agricultural practices such as afforestation, shifting cultivation, crop rotation etc. and grazing practices in a sustainable way. Even once land has been degraded, rehabilitation and restoration measures such as controlling burning, alternative fuel source, fire traces etc., terracing prevents further gully erosion, pegging, ridges along slopes also check any further erosion and good irrigation system can help restore lost ecosystem services. The success of rehabilitation practices depends on the availability of policies and technologies and the close involvement of local communities. With all the causes and effects, desertification has poses one of the greatest environmental challenges today and constitutes a major barrier to meeting basic human needs. Effectively fighting desertification will help reduce global poverty and will contribute to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
REFERENCE
“Ecosystems and human well-being: Desertification Synthesis”, a report published in 2005 by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)
Thank you for your time
Be Eco-friendly
© Rufai Sunkanmi
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