Desertification is a land degradation process of an area that is relatively dry to become progressively drier and eventually to become a desert. The degradation is typically caused by human activities and climatic conditions. The process results in the loss of vegetation cover as well as the wildlife living in the area.
The causes of desertification include the following;
Deforestation- Wood fuel consumption is a leading cause of desertification. A consistent use of wood fuel propagates the cutting down of trees, and since forest regeneration in the dry areas is slow, then reliance on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind should be encouraged.
Population growth- Over the years, human population has been increasing at a fast rate as a result of lower mortality rates as a consequence more and more land will be required to develop settlements.
Over-exploitation- human activities such as overgrazing and mining will ultimately lead to land degradation. Poor agricultural activities that try to make the maximum use of land also destroys the land.
Fertile Crescent
Over-exploitation through intensification of agricultural activities ultimately led to the collapse of the environmental conditions of the region. Due to the increasing size of human population, the demand for food increased that led to the use of poor farming techniques such as inadequate crop rotation. As a result, most of the soil in the area became degraded unable to support agricultural activities (Imeson 239).
The Great Green Wall Initiative
This is a planned project developed by the African Union that intends to plant a wall of trees (15 km wide and 7,775 km in long) along the Southern edge of the Sahara desert. This wall of trees will run across Africa and will implement a collaborative approach between the countries 11 countries. The project targets to tackle the detrimental effects of economic, social and environmental impacts of degradation. The initiative not only deals with reforestation activities along the Southern Sahara edge but also as a rural development program (BBC).
Works Cited
BBC. Push For 'Great Green Wall of Africa' To Halt Sahara. 17 Jun. 2010. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
Imeson, Anton. Desertification, Land Degradation and Sustainability. New Jersey: Wiley, 2011. Print.
