Desertification: Impacts and Solutions

(Figure 1) The Sahara Desert.

Jacob Goddard
ENGL 3140
Contents

Abstract----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
Desertification----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Effects of Desertification on Inhabitants----------------------------------------------------------- 5
Pending Solutions---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
References------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9

List of Figures
Figure 1: The Sahara Desert. - - - - - - 1
Figure 2: The shrinking of the Aral Sea from 2006 – 2014. - 5
Figure 3: Land restored through improved grazing techniques. 7
Abstract
Deserts make up over one fifth of the Earth’s land surface and are home to more than one billion
people. Over centuries, inhabitants of Earth believed that these dryland ecosystems could go
unprotected and unpreserved without fear of repercussion. The common misconception of
deserts being unvalued, desolate wastelands has led to decades of abuse and actions that would
not be performed on ecosystems thought to be sensitive to man-made interference. As time and
science advanced, it was proven that these ecosystems have far more to offer than cacti and sand.

In addition to the many human populations that live in and around desert climates, a wide variety
of plant and animal species call these biomes home. Because deserts span across all parts of the
globe, not all deserts are hot, sandy regions, only hospitable to reptilian and cacti species. From
the frigid, icy regions of Antarctica to the dry dunes of the Sahara, deserts are the home of
millions of species of plants and animals that have carefully adapted over centuries to live in
these intense environments.

Thankfully, increased desertification across the globe has been recognized and quantified.
Global organizations like the United Nations have started to step in with hopes of conserving the
precious resources that these regions have left, with guidance and support for the areas directly
and indirectly affected. Hopefully through continual support and government interaction, these
ecosystems can be preserved for future generations.
Problems With Desertification
The risk of desertification is widespread and spans over 100 countries, especially affecting the
poorest and most vulnerable populations, as subsistence farming is common across the majority
of affected regions. According to the European Commission’s World Atlas of
Desertification more than 75 percent of Earth’s land area is already degraded, and by 2050, over
90 percent of land could become degraded. The Joint Research Centre of the commission has
found that a total area half the size of the continent of Europe (1.61 million square miles) is
degraded each year, with Asia and Africa being the most affected (Nunez 2021).

Since the beginning of time humans have negatively affected deserts and their neighboring
ecosystems through means of unsustainable farming, overgrazing, and poor soil and water
conservation. Along with these unsustainable practices, increased human expansion,
urbanization, and traffic into these regions have also played a large part in altering bordering
semi-arid regions into desert climates (Haynes 197). These drivers of desertification and land
degradation vary depending on location. In the regions surrounding the Aral Sea in the countries
of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, unregulated and excessive use of water for agricultural irrigation
is the main factor in the shrinking of the Aral Sea, leaving behind a saline desert (Figure 2.)
These drivers differ greatly in Africa’s Sahel region, bordered to the south by the savannas and to
the north by the Sahara Desert. A great increase in the population of this region has caused an
increase in the amount of illegal farming, timber harvesting, and land clearing for housing,
among other changes. In areas where ranching is prominent, the continual pounding of the soil
by the hooves of livestock can degrade the soil and increase erosion by water and wind (Nunez
2021).
 (Figure 2) The shrinking of the Aral Sea from 2006 – 2014.

Warmer average temperatures and continual climate change could also amplify the effects of
desertification throughout the world. The Mediterranean region would experience severe
changes with a warming of a mere 2 degrees Celsius, as studies show that this small increase in
temperature would transform all of southern Spain into desert (Nunez 2021).

Effects of Desertification on Inhabitants

Increasing desertification paired with constant human exploitation of these ecosystems present a
major threat to the over 1 billion people living in and around these regions, as well as the
millions of species of fauna and wildlife present (“Desertification – a threat to the Sahel”, 1994).
Drought itself is not such a serious threat to the organisms living in these regions, as the majority
of species have evolved meticulously over centuries to become drought tolerant. However, what
these creatures cannot withstand is human-induced degradation through the means of
unsustainable farming, soil and water contamination by agrochemicals, and irrigation-induced
salinity (Haynes 197). The Aral Sea in the Kyzyl Kum Desert has shrunk to 15-percent of its
original size, leaving behind vast salt plains. While the loss of water is immediately
acknowledged, secondary effects are often looked over. The remnants of the sea are now 2.4
times as salty as the world’s oceans, killing most native fish species and causing an abrupt stop to
the local fishing industry (Haynes 199). Additionally, this dry soil polluted with fertilizers and
hazardous chemical pesticides is carried by wind to other parts of the world making neighboring
soil infertile. These pesticides, which have been correlated to respiratory diseases and cancers,
can be found in traces all over the world. Residues of these pesticides have now been found in
Russian fields, Greenland glaciers, and in the blood of Antarctic penguins (Haynes
200).

In other areas, mounting climate change threatens the lives of many plant and animal species.
Scientists warn that the ancient and iconic Joshua tree, found in many arid regions of the United
States, may not survive a hotter climate. If these trees don’t survive, their extinction could
threaten the existence of many creatures like that of the Yucca moth, which uses the flowers of
the Joshua tree to lay their eggs (Nunez 2021).

Solving Desertification
While the effectiveness of many proposed solutions to desertification are mixed, a major step in
the right direction is being taken to preserve the world for future generations. Legislative efforts
have been made to encourage sustainable agricultural practices, while placing sanctions on areas
where conservation is ignored. The United Nations established the Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) in 1994. Since its creation, 122 countries have committed to reducing
the effects of desertification at distinguished Land Degradation Neutrality targets. Their efforts
to reduce land degradation mostly focuses on working with farmers to protect useable acres,
repair degraded land, provide guidance for more effective means of livestock grazing (Figure 3),
as well as effectively managing water resources (Nunez 2021).

(Figure 3)
Land
restored
through
improved
grazing
techniques.

In addition to these efforts, the

UNCCD has also raised awareness
for the World Day to Combat
Desertification and Drought (United Nations). This day gathers local communities as one to
restore degraded land back to healthy, useful soil by planting forage and trees that reintroduce
nutrients into the soil and reduce the effects of wind drift and erosion. While these attempts may
seem feeble, the United Nations states, “Current commitments from over 100 countries specify
the restoration of almost 1 billion hectares of land over the next decade – an area almost the size
of China” (United Nations).

Conclusion
The effects and rapid increase of desertification pose an undeniable threat to the human
population in and around the effected regions, as well as the numerous species of wildlife and
plants that call deserts home. Neighboring fertile ecosystems that border these biomes are at
major risk of losing countless numbers of organisms and vegetation. If not properly controlled
and minimized, the effects of these poor conservation practices will soon be felt across the globe.
Protective measures continue to be taken to restore degraded land, penalize nations that refuse to
comply with conservation policies, and support nations taking action to protect these regions.
Global and local organizations must continue taking action to regenerate degraded land, and
preserve the remainder of these wondrous ecosystems and the organisms within them throughout
the world.
References

Foundation, Eden. “Eden Foundation.” Desertification - a Threat to the Sahel, 1994,

https://www.edenfoundation.org/project/desertif.html#:~:text=Desertification%20is%20a%
20man%2Dinduced,main%20cause%20of%20this%20destruction.

Haynes, Roslynn D. Desert: Nature and Culture. Reaktion Books, 2013.

Nunez, Christina. “Deserts, Explained.” National Geographic, 2021,

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/deserts.

Nunez, Christina. “Desertification Facts and Information.” Environment, National Geographic, 3

May 2021, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/desertification.

“World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.” United Nations, United Nations,
https://www.un.org/en/observances/desertification-day.