Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa Dr. H. Kwame Afaglo
©2010
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa The degradation of a herethe to green vegetative soil to an arid, semi-arid, dry sub-humid soil and the drastic reduction of faunal diversity of a geographical location is known as desertification.
Africa is known to be recording a little higher than global deforestation rate (0.8 per cent), vis-a-vis the peril of severe drought or drought most time of the year in some states.
Climatic conditions and human activities are mostly responsible for desertification in Africa.
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa Causes of Desertification
Drought - Some states in Africa experience about three (3) months of unpredictable rainfall all year round, whiles the rest of the months of the year are faced with hot and dry weather leading to low humidity.
Human activity - Coupled with the low humidity, is that of the legalised freshwater pollution system (as mining activities) pertaining in most African states.
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa Legal and illegal indiscriminate falling of trees as lumber, fuel wood and its burning into charcoal is another human activity that is hastening desertification in Africa.
A rather controversial causative factor is farming and land ownership in Africa. Subsistent farming and land ownership does reduce the fertility of the soil fast. Since land is vested in families, owners of land can not afford to let it fallow, for natural regeneration and re-fertilisation.
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa Over farming and grazing on a particular parcel of land leads to soil erosion by air and water as agents, reduced soil moisture and possibly increased salination of soil. Controversial because people must eat to live. However, large scale farming as mechanised farming is economically advantageous in both food production and land use than subsistent farming.
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa Relationship between desertification, population and migration
There is a probable positive correlation between desertification, population and migration. In that, humans settle where there are source(s) of water and food. Hence with a depleted soil and significant reduction in members of the ecosystem, it pre-supposes that there is likelihood of shortage of food and water for human lives. The next step
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa people take is to move out of that geographical location, or are faced with starvation, struggling and in-fighting that subsequently leads to death.
Invariably, the occurrence of desertification will lead to reduced population and or migration for life.
Although controversial, to an extent desertification has some relationship with poverty at least in Africa.
The most possible question is: How come Middle East is predominately a desert region but with so much wealth?
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa A case in point is the misuse of the mangrove forest of Sine Saloum community of Senegal that has lead to its desertification. UNESCO report on ‘Mangrove Ecosystem Studies in Latin America and Africa’ did point out the socio-economic impact of the mangrove on the lives of coastal dwellers.
‘Mangroves are vital to the everyday life of the population of coastal Africa.: to build houses and as source of charcoal. Unlimited exploitation of the mangrove forests leads to desertification in the coastal zone and inevitable salination of the land, (2005)
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa Overly exploitation of mangrove trees causes an increased salinity of soil of which renders the soil worthless for agricultural purpose.
The unlimited exploitation of the mangrove ecosystem of Senegal is attributable to the low level of poverty in the community. Since the woods serves both domestic commercial purposes.
Desertification does not only adversely affect the flora diversity but also the faunal. In the case of the
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa mangrove misuse, there were noticeably indiscriminate fishing of juvenile shrimps, fishes and oyster. (UNESCO, 2005)
Recommendation
Communities and states must implement and enforce the ‘Green belt zone’ where farming activities are prohibited.
Secondly, states in Africa especially the Western
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa sector must plant human-made forest as the reafforestation project of Burkina Faso.
Conclusion
Inasmuch as desertification is partly and significantly human caused so should humans cultivate a carefully planned forest region so as to save, nourish and enhance lives.
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa References
Taddese, G. And Peden, D. (1989) Desertification A Challenge to the Horn of Africa: An Example of the Afar Region Available from http://www.unccd.int/publicinfo/factsheets/showFS.php?number=11 Accessed on [24 September 2010]
UNCCD (2000) Combating Deserts in Africa Available from http://www.unccd.int/publicinfo/factsheets/showFS.php?number=11 Accessed on [24 September 2010]
UNESCO (2005) Combating Desertification in Coastal Africa: A Campaign to Alert the Local Population Available from http://www.unesco.org/csi/region/desert.htm Accessed on [24 September 2010]
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa
Desertification Threatens Green Africa : Desertification Threatens Green Africa Thank you