2006-International Year Of The Desert
International Year of The Desert
Desertification, in the words of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, is one of the world’s most alarming processes of environmental degradation. The issue is often obscured, however, by a common misperception: that it’s a “natural” problem of advancing deserts in faraway developing countries. In fact, Desertification is about land degradation: the loss of the land’s biological productivity, caused by human-induced factors and climate change. It affects one third of the earth’s surface and over a billion people. Moreover, it has potentially devastating consequences in terms of social and economic costs.
Desertification and International Policy Imperative
This is information about the desertification conference held in Algiers that just ended today. I will be posting on the outcome when more information is known.
Battling The Desert In China
Main causes of drylands/deforestation
*climate change from the burning of fossil fuels causing less rainfall and over evaporation of the soil
* over population
* over grazing
* overusing groundwater
* deforestation/destroying trees
* the use of wood as domestic fuel
* growing water intensive crops (like rice)
These are all actions that can be reversed by humans taking the initiative, which will be the only course of action as this crisis worsens.
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