Desertification Essay Example For Students

Desertification Essay The worlds drylands, contrary to popular misconceptions of being barren unproductive land, contain some of the most valuable and vital ecosystems on the planet. These dryland environments have surprising diversity and resiliency, supporting over two billion people, approximately thirty-five percent of the global population (UNEP, 2003). In fact, approximately seventy percent of Africans depend directly on drylands for their daily livelihood (UNEP, 2003). However, these precious and crucial areas are at a crossroad, endangered and threatened by the devastating process of desertification. There are over one hundred definitions for the term desertification, however the most widely used and current definition is as follows: desertification refers to the land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions due to human activities and climate variations, often leading to the permanent loss of soil productivity and the thinning out of the vegetative cover (UNCCD, 2003). It is impor tant to note that desertification is not the expansion and contraction of deserts or hyper-arid territories, which grow and decrease both naturally and cyclically. French ecologist Louis Lavauden first used the term desertification in 1927 and French botanist Andre Aubreville, when witnessing the land degradation occurring in North and West Africa in 1949 popularized this term (Dregne, 242). The causes of desertification include overgrazing, overcultivation, deforestation and poor irrigation practices. Climatic variations, such as changes in wind speed, precipitation and temperature can influence or increase desertification rates, but they are not catalysts to the process- it is the exploitative actions of humans that trigger desertification (Glantz, 146). The most exploited area historically has been Africa. In the Sahel (transition zone between the Sahara and the Savanna) of West Africa during the period of 1968 to 1973, desertification was a main cause of the deaths of over 100,0 00 people and 12 million cattle, as well as the disruption of social organizations from villages to the national level (USGS, 1997). As a result of the catastrophic devastation in the Sahel, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 1977, where an agreement was reached to eradicate desertification by the year 2000. Obviously this goal was not achieved. Countries and organizations, notably in the industrialized world, have been unwilling to provide significant and sufficient financial and economic aid to countries most impacted by this issue (Mainguet, 2003). Consequently, desertification is out of control, threatening the sustainability of the worlds environment, disrupting social structures and well-being, and impairing economic growth. This crisis reaches beyond the local, directly affected communities, impacting and jeopardizing world stability. Environmentally, desertification reduces the worlds freshwater reserves due to water over consumption and irrigation mismanagement, decreases genetic diversity through soil erosion and plant destruction, and also accelerates the carbon exchange process by damaging carbon sinks. Socially, desertification causes population displacement as people search for better living conditions, often leading to conflicts and wars. Another social consequence is a dramatic reduction in the worlds food supply due to the depletion of vital dryland vegetation and a decline in crop yields. Desertification is also linked to a number of health issues such as malnutrition, as clean water and sufficient food resources are extremely scarce. Economically, income potential is lost because land is unproductive, and monetary funds are devoted towards combating desertification, compromising economic growth and development. Crisis management becomes more important than achieving economic goals. Furthermore, increasing levels of poverty have resulted due to dire economic conditions. The internatio nal body must devote more time, resources and energy to find effective and long-term solutions that will benefit not only directly-affected areas, but the world at large. The devastating environmental, social and economic ramifications of desertification must be addressed immediately, cooperatively and without hesitation, before the window of opportunity is lost. Desertification has created and encouraged a number of major environmental problems, and has endangered the sustainability of a diverse and clean global environment. Through the use of poor irrigation practices and exploitative human actions for profit, water has been over consumed and desertification has occurred near areas surrounding fresh water supplies, reducing or depleting these reserves. In the desertification process, the shorelines and the aquatic land and soil becomes eroded, salinized and degraded. Thus, feeder rivers decline in quantity and supply, river flow rates decrease and ultimately freshwater reserves ar e polluted and/or reduced. The reduction of river flow rates and the lowering of groundwater levels leads to the silting up of estuaries, the encroachment of salt water into water tables, and the pollution of water by suspended particles and salination (FAO, 2003). These problems are particularly evident in the Aral Sea in Asia, which at one point was the fourth largest lake in the world (Aral Sea Homepage, 2002). During the Soviet era in the 1960s and 1970s, the communist central planners had little regard for water conservation, and over consumed this resource. In order to meet the demand for agricultural irrigation the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) diverted water from rivers that flowed into the Aral Sea (Pacific Island Travel: Desertification, 1999). These exploitative actions dropped water levels by one-third because feeder rivers could no longer replenish the large lake, as illustrated in Appendix 1 (Pacific Island Travel: Desertification, 1999). Not only has the shorelines of the Aral Sea declined, but Lake Chad in Africa has followed a similar fate. Desertification in the Lake Chad region has dropped water levels far below the average dry season amount of 10,000 square kilometers to only 839 square kilometers (Earth Crash Earth Spirit, 2001). The reduction of water levels in Lake Chad and the Aral Sea decreases their ability to moderate the local climate, resulting in more extreme variations in temperature and precipitation. Therefore, local ecosystems are disrupted and even destroyed, as the climate becomes more continental in nature, and vital water supplies are scarce or depleted. Desertification reduces the biodiversity and genetic diversity of dryland ecosystems, impairing the sustainability of plants, animals and even humans in these regions. As a consequence of desertification, the soil of arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas becomes eroded, resulting in unproductive and literally useless land. This disrupts the habitats and food sources for many organisms, making sustainable life in these areas very difficult (FAO, 2003). Furthermore, because of freshwater and food scarcity, the life expectancy and actual existence for many species is threatened. This grave consequence was evident in the western African country of Mauritania, where the desertification process, from 1970 to 1980, killed approximately 15,000 people and over 500,000 various plants and animals were eradicated (CIESIN, 2003). Unfortunately, as the severity of desertification escalates in countries like Mauritania, it becomes extremely difficult to maintain biologically diverse ecosystems ne eded to support the lives of plants, animals and humans. Through the ecological destruction and imbalance caused by desertification, the carbon exchange process is accelerated. Dryland vegetation and soil are crucial storage devices for carbon, and contain practically half the total quantity of carbon (FAO, 2003). Once these elements thin out or become unproductive due to desertification, carbon is released into the atmosphere. It is estimated that for every hectare of dryland vegetation or soil that is depleted or unusable, 30 tonnes of carbon is no longer stored and is released into the atmosphere (FAO, 2003). This elevation of atmospheric carbon contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming. Heart Of Darkness/symbolizm EssayDesertification is directly linked to the mass poverty occurring in the developing world. Individuals consistently endure an impoverished lifestyle because income potential is foregone, and resources are devoted towards rehabilitation, therefore scarce economic funds are depleted. United Nations Secretary Kofi Anna states: Because the poor often farm degraded land, desertification is both a cause and consequence to poverty Fighting desertification must be an integral part of our wider efforts to eradicate poverty (Environment News Service, 2003). If the desertification process continues to grow exponentially, mass poverty will also increase both in size and in severity. Thus, in order to address poverty, desertification must be contained and controlled. Currently, desertification affects over 250 million people and a third of the earths land surface (4 billion hectares) (UNCCD, 2003). In addition, the livelihoods of over one billion people in over 100 countries are indirectly threatened (UNCCD, 2003), as shown in the map in Appendix 4. It is estimated that in the next 50 years, another billion people will fall victim to the wrath of desertification and its related environmental, social, and economic ramifications (CIESIN, 2003). The depletion and contamination of fresh water sources, the reduction in biodiversity, and the acceleration of the carbon cycle make desertification devastating to the sustainability of the environment. Socially, desertification forces people to migrate which may eventually lead to wars or conflicts, creates a major catastrophe for the worlds food supply, and is scientifically correlated to major health concerns, even epidemics such as malaria. The economic status of developing countries impacted by the dese rtification process is jeopardized as high levels of income are foregone, and resources are devoted towards rehabilitation, not towards growth and development. Furthermore, poverty in African and Asian nations has grown exponentially due to this process, creating humanitarian and economic crises. The worlds future is at stake, and it is imperative that the global community acts now. Desertification is a preventable process, but requires a coordinated approach involving effort from the local, national and global communities. Local and national governments must implement methods of soil and water conservation, and utilize traditional agricultural systems that support positive environmental strategies. The industrialized world must supply the economic and technological aid necessary for these conservation techniques (UNCCD, 2003). Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite technology is a modern technique that can be effectively used in combating desertification. GPS satellites can actu ally pinpoint and locate areas vulnerable or prone to desertification, acting as excellent early warning signs. This allows governments to implement various techniques and policies to prevent damage done by desertification. As former United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated in a letter to governors on February 26, 1937, a nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself (Dingle, 2003). The battle to combat desertification is a war that can be lost, but must be won. Now is the time to win the fight before this glimmer of hope disappears. Appendix 1: Time-Series Photos of the Aral SeaSource: Aral Sea Homepage, 2002These pictures were taken using LANDSAT TM satellite technology. The reddish shade represents the vegetation around the Aral Sea. The northern part of the image is the shoreline of the sea. Notice how in 1979 the shoreline is quite large, while in 1989 it is non-existent, illustrating the decreasing water levels. What is also striking is the white shade on the sate llite photo from 1989. This represents an artificial saltpan, caused by desertification and desiccation. Appendix 2: World Map of Armed Conflicts and DesertificationSource: CIESIN, 2003Most of the armed conflicts occurring from 1989-97 are in highly desertified areas. Thus, there is a strong positive correlation between desertification and armed conflict. Appendix 3: Map of Desertification Vulnerability and Malaria Risk in AfricaFor both maps, red represents the highest severity, followed by orange, yellow, green and lastly white. In desertified areas, much of the population is at risk of malaria, thus there is a strong, positive correlation between desertification and malaria. Appendix 4: World Map of Desertification VulnerabilitySource: CIESIN, 2003Works CitedAral Sea Homepage. Aral Sea Region: Kyzylorda Oblast, Kazakhstan. 2002. . CIESIN: Center for Earth Science Information Network. Global Desertification Dimensions and Costs. 29 July 2003. . DEWA: Divisions of Warning and Assessment, United Nations. Desertification and Drought Identification. 2002. . Dingle, Carol, et al. Franklin D. Roosevelt Quotations. 2003. . Dregne, H.E., et al. Desertification of Arid Lands. New York: Harwood Academic Publishers, 1983. Earth Crash Earth Spirit. 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Man-Induced Desertification?: Lecture. 17 October 2003. . OSEI: Operational Significant Event Imagery. Dust Storms. 17 October 2003. . Pacific Island Travel: Desertification. Desertification and the Aral Sea. 1999. . Reich, Paul, et al. Land Degradation and Desertification in Desert Margins. 2002. . Smith, Olanrewaju, et al. Desertification: Myths and Realities. 10 June 1999. . Sweet, Lois. Margins of Hope. 26 May 1999. . Tiempo Climate. Desertification and climate change. 1993. . UNCCD: Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Knowledge Base. 19 March 2003. . UNDP: United Nations Development Programme. Drylands Development Centre. 2003. . UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme. Drylands. 2003. USGS: United States Geological Survey. Desertification. 29 October 1997. . Warren, Andrew, et al. An assessment of desertification and land degradation in arid and semi-arid areas. London: International Institute for Environment and Development, 1988. Waser, Katherine. The Convention to Combat Desertification Part 1: Africa and the Mediterranean. 1996. . WHO Africa: World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. Malaria Control. 19 October 2003. WHO Denmark: World Health Organization. Desertification and drought greatly affects Africans health. 10 December 2002. . Wu, Jianguo. Desertification. Phoenix: Arizona State University West, Department of Life Sciences, 2001.