Santo Domingo Savio School (7th grade students)
Desertification is a process by which natural or human causes reduce the biological productivity of drylands (arid and semiarid lands). The productivity of land decreases mainly because of causes such as climate change, deforestation, over-grazing, unsustainable irrigation practises... Desertification is a major problem that we are facing right now and we need to act quickly!
Why do we need to worry about desertification?
In desertification, the land is degraded to an unusable state. In the rainy season, intense rainfall could wash away the newly grown plants because the ground is extremely infertile. People living in and around these areas need to constantly move and look out for better and prosperous areas for agricultural activities and cultivation.
Desertification is not a natural process, t is a result of man-made activities.
Soil degradation and infertility reduces the production of crops and their yield, moreover, with the increasing rate of population and constant demand for natural resources, desertification has become one of world’s major problem! AND... it lso causes large scale migration of people!!!
What can we do to prevent this disaster?
- Irrigation improvements, which can inhibit water loss from evaporation and prevent salt accumulation. This technique involves changes in the design of irrigation systems to prevent water from pooling or evaporating easily from the soil.
- Cover crops, which prevent soil erosion from wind and water.
- Terracing, which involves the creation of multiple levels of flat ground that appear as long steps cut into hillsides. The technique slows the pace of runoff, which reduces soil erosion and retards overall water loss.
- Planting more trees that help bind soil together and prevent soil erosion!
- Agroforestry is another important measure to prevent desertification.
Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland. This intentional combination of agriculture and forestry has varied benefits, including increased biodiversity and reduced erosion. Agroforestry practices have been successful in sub-Saharan Africa.
Countries like Africa or China have taken initiatives and measures to prevent desertification by building the Great Green Wall across their deserts with a hope to restore the lush green land that was once lost.
To watch their contributions towards preventing desertification, click this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVOYN70scS8&t=4s
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