Desertification! :^)
Desertification occurs when land slowly turns into deserts. This is happening in many parts of the world, especially at the edges of already existing deserts! A very good example is of The Sahel region which lies like a belt across Africa on the southern fringes of the Sahara Desert.
The Sahel!
Causes of Desertification in The Sahel:
Rapid Population Growth:
Because of high birth rates and better health care, there are more people on the land causing a rapid population growth. This means that these people also need more resources such as food, fuel and housing.
Therefore, as a result more trees have also been cut down for fuel and housing.
Also, more sheep, cattle and farm animals have grazed on the land and have over grazed the land.This has stripped away the land's natural grass cover.
Land has been over-cultivated, so its fertility has also declined.
All these contributed to the soil becoming bare and exposed and therefore can be blown away by the wind quite easily. As a result the eroded land becomes barren.
Because of high birth rates and better health care, there are more people on the land causing a rapid population growth. This means that these people also need more resources such as food, fuel and housing.
Therefore, as a result more trees have also been cut down for fuel and housing.
Also, more sheep, cattle and farm animals have grazed on the land and have over grazed the land.This has stripped away the land's natural grass cover.
Land has been over-cultivated, so its fertility has also declined.
All these contributed to the soil becoming bare and exposed and therefore can be blown away by the wind quite easily. As a result the eroded land becomes barren.
DESERTIFICATION HAS TAKEN PLACE!
Effects of Desertification:
1. Desertification has affected millions of hectares of land and also thrteatens millions of people in countries such as Mali and Ethiopia.
2. It is also one of the causes to the outbreak of terrible famines.
3. It caused people to give up on their land and migrate to other areas. Then these areas also became over populated and overgrazed and this causes more desertification.
A youtube clip on desertification:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLBYfyp24Xc&feature=related
2. It is also one of the causes to the outbreak of terrible famines.
3. It caused people to give up on their land and migrate to other areas. Then these areas also became over populated and overgrazed and this causes more desertification.
A youtube clip on desertification:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLBYfyp24Xc&feature=related
