Table of Contents
What countries are most affected by desertification?
A recently published JRC study identified the following geographic regions as prone to desertification: north-eastern Brazil, south-western Argentina, the southern Sahel, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Sub-Himalayan India, and north-eastern China.
Why is desertification in Ethiopia?
The major causes of land degradation in Ethiopia are the rapid population increase, severe soil loss, deforestation, low vegetative cover and unbalanced crop and livestock production. Inappropriate land-use systems and land-tenure policies enhance desertification and loss of agrobiodiversity.
What are the four causes of desertification?
Many things can cause desertification. Drought, overgrazing, fire, and deforestation can thin out vegetation, leaving exposed soil. If the nutrient-rich top soil blows or washes away, plants may not be able to return.
Where does desertification mainly occur in the world?
Africa and Asia are the most affected areas in the world by desertification. The impact of climate change and human activities are present in these areas with high levels of desertification compared to other areas in the world. Africa has lost over 250,000 square miles of its productive agricultural land over the last 50 years.
Where in northern Africa is desertification a major problem?
One major problem throughout Northern Africa is desertification, Tunisia having one of the worst overall soil conditions of all. Poor farming techniques such as overgrazing, deforestation, soil erosion, and a limited supply of natural sources of freshwater are all contributing to the problem of desertification.
What is cause desertification?
“Desertification is caused by a combination of factors that change over time and vary by location. These include indirect factors such as population pressure, socioeconomic and policy factors, and international trade as well as direct factors such as land use patterns and practices and climate-related processes.”.
Why is desertification a global problem?
Desertification contributes to global climate change by increasing exposed land surface, hence albedo; increasing the potential and decreasing the actual evapotranspiration rate; changing the ground surface energy budget and adjoining air temperature; and adding dust and carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.