Cole Becherer
Desertification, defined by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, is “land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities” (UNCCD 1994). Desertification stems from many different sources, some being completely natural and some being greatly accelerated by mankind’s treatment of the land. Because of the vast amounts of fertilizers that are used across the world on many corporate and private farms, much of the soil gets an obscene rise in salt content, rendering the land useless for farming. Excessive grazing from cattle and other various animals can also cause desertification. When animals have unrestricted access to feeding on a pasture, the land quality can degrade at an alarming rate.
Luckily for us, desertification is a relatively preventable phenomenon, given we take care of the earth that we cultivate. The best things that humans can do in order to prevent desertification is that we can take care of the land, and practice safer farming methods that will help preserve the land. Making sure that not so much soil is exposed to wind and sun by having a set amount of vegetation can help prevent wind erosion and can keep the soil moisturized and capable of growing plants. If farmers controlled where their animals could graze, and did not let them freely graze the same spot of land for extended periods of time. The human effect that we have had on the climate and the Earth is nearly irreversible, so the least we can do is take care of what we still have in order to stall the inevitable future.
Climate change, a huge issue for today’s environment, is something that is not to be ignored when considering desertification. The recent change in the environment has caused certain seasons to be much dryer, and allows for many natural (and unnatural) phenomenons such as wildfires, and other various things that can cause land to die and not be able to regrow. Many governments, such as the Brazilian administration, have taken it upon themselves to burn down massive amounts of forest in order to create new farmland. With the changing weather patterns following humanity’s effect on the Earth through Global warming, we must strive to be better prepared to take care of our land, before we lose it forever, and it is no longer farmable.
Bendiksen, Jonas. “Desertification, Explained.” Desertification Facts and Information, 31 May 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/desertification/.
“Explainer: Desertification and the Role of Climate Change.” Carbon Brief, 20 Aug. 2019, www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-desertification-and-the-role-of-climate-change.
“United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.” United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, www.unccd.int/.