DESERTIFICATION

 DESERTIFICATION

        This is the process by which the desert fringes are encroaching on agricultural potential land.
        OR: I t is the process in which the fertile land is demanded and degraded to produce or initiate desert.

CAUSES OF DESERTIFICATION

1.  Poor use or mismanagement of land leads to desertification.In most cases many people are still ignorant and hence unaware of how to use the land properly due to low level of technology e.g. Over cultivation and overgrazing, as well as poor methods of cultivation especially cultivation facing down the slope.

2. Deforestation: This is the process which is mainly associates with massive destruction of trees and vegetation cover.

         In most cases in African countries, natural forest have been destroyed, using trees for different activities such as building, making furniture, building ships and boats,      making paper and fuel, charcoal making, etc.

3.  Increase of population in some countries has led to clearing of forested areas for cultivation in order to increase food production, settlement purposes,construction of infrastructures.
4.  Natural drought cycles have been responsible for the advance of the desert. Drought leads to loss of soil moisture and hence death of different plant species.

EFFECTS OF DESERTIFICATION

1.  It leads to decline in agriculture. This is because of drought condition that causes water problems when there is poor precipitation plant growth is inhabited leading to poor food production.
2.  Migration of people from affected area to productive land area.

People and other animals are compelled to move from areas with scarcity of water to areas that experience enough rainfall.

3. The desert advance acceleration of  soil erosion which leads to deforestation and loss of arable land.  Erosion also affect different structure like building bridge, roads and railway line.
4. Leads to the loss of important species of trees and animals as well as organism like bacteria.
5. Scarcity of water makes travel long distance in search for water for domestic uses like cooking, drinking, washing.
6. The desert also contribute at high rate the destruction of wild life animals and species which in turn leads to decline of tourist industries in the country .This happens when animal die or migrate away or when lakes and rivers dry up.

MEASURES TO BE TAKEN IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE RATE OF DESERTIFICATION

1.  Alternative source of energy should be used in the developing countries especially in natural areas where the majority live.  Alternative energy includes solar energy, wind power, bio gas and hydroelectric power.
2.  The local people should be educated on how to conserve vegetation. Some programs like afforestation and reforestation should be encouraged in order to mitigate them.
3.  The government should advice some substantive policies whose objectives are to lay down principles to guide development and control of forests.

      4. The government should encourage forest conservation by avoiding deforestation.