Contents
What areas of the Earth are undergoing 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.
Is Australia experiencing desertification?
Desertification in some form is estimated to have occurred over about 42% of the 5 million km(2) of arid and semiarid lands in Australia. A strategic application of ponding banks and contour traps with an eye to the landscape has proven successful in stopping and reversing desertification processes.
Why is Australia at risk of desertification?
In Australia, we are particularly susceptible to desertification and drought because of our climate, landscape and dependency on natural resources. Use the World Day to Combat Desertification to spread awareness of the impacts of desertification and to support efforts towards sustainable land management.
Where does desertification take place in the world?
More specifically, desertification plays its largest role in the grasslands of East Africa, the Kalahari Desert and the Sahara Desert. These regions span over 65 percent of the land. In Ethiopia, 80 percent of the land is at risk of desertification.
How much of Africa is at risk of desertification?
In Ethiopia, 80 percent of the land is at risk of desertification. In addition, one-third of the continent is unsuitable for living due to climate changes. As Africa’s population continues to grow and desertification continues to be ignored, more of the land becomes arid and uninhabitable. This issue is particularly prevalent in Africa.
How is desertification related to accelerated soil erosion?
Desertificationis the process whereby land in semi-arid regions become desert, the grasslands becomes semi-desert and so on. This is a chain reaction of sub-species of fauna invading previously productive land and, in the process, more unproductive land is created. Desertification goes hand in hand with accelerated soil erosion.
What’s the difference between desertification and human driven desertification?
It is important to distinguish between deserts, which are a healthy feature of earth’s natural tapestry, and human-driven desertification, which is a process that diminishes the ecosystem.