Desertification linked to poverty
The very high risk areas for desertification are represented on the map as red, and the high risk places are orange. As you can see, the majority of the very high risk areas are in central Asia, and many of the high risk areas are in Africa.
Photo:
USDA
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Deserts are defined by their lack of rainfall.
But a recent U.N. report – created by 200 experts in 25 countries -labels desertification as a human issue. In the next 10 years, 50 million people could lose their homes to encroaching deserts, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and central Asia. That’s about two-and-a-half New York Cities on the move.
Climate change will affect rainfall patterns, but rapidly expanding human populations also increase pressure on dry and fragile lands. According to the U.N. report, desertification is closely linked to poverty. Dr. Zafar Adeel of the United Nations University was lead author of the report.
Zafar Adeel: For societies, and particularly those in developing countries, to be able to successfully and sustainably shepherd their natural systems, you have to insure they have sufficient means and ways of creating an income and a livelihood for them and their families.
Adeel emphasized there is a “fundamental disconnect” in the thinking that goes into formulating economic policies, if those policies don’t recognize the link between expanding deserts and poverty.
The U.N. report was based on a conference on desertification that took place in Algiers in 2006. Participants at the conference discussed why policies related to desertification have not appeared to be working. Adeel said there’s a lack of communication and coordination between different sectors and agencies addressing the issue. He also said that the international community has been scaling back funding to combat desertification. “While the problem is growing the international community is heading in opposite direction,” Adeel said.
Access the full report here: UN issues desertification warning from the BBC.
Making deserts from the inside out
Will deserts grow in a warming world?
Brazilian desert transformed to fertile soil
Map of projected human impact on deserts.
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Our thanks to:
Zafar Adeel, Ph.D.
Director
United Nations University – International Network on Water,
Environment & Health
I guess the first thing to address is the fact that the Sahara Dessert is shrinking, not growing. Second, in a warmer world, there will be more evaporation and therefore more rainfall. It is true we don’t know where the rain will fall but there will be more. Third, since no climate model now in use has proven predictive, I think this is a lot of worry about nothing.
Global climate has been in a constant state of change since the establishment of this little rock and I am betting will continue until it is eaten by the sun. We have no control over these changes. They just are. We should study (without government money) the climate and see if we can learn what is actually going on and see if we can figure out how to adapt. As a sentient species, we really don’t want to go extinct!