Desertification THE DESERT COMETH By: Bridget Walsh

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Desertification

• THE DESERT COMETH

By Bridget Walsh, Danielle Skuy and Georgia
Vatcher.
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What Is Desertification?
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What Is Desertification?

• Land degradation
• Occurs everywhere except Antarctica
• Dry lands cover 41 of the earths surface
• Vulnerable to human pressure
• and climatic variability
• 10-20 of dry lands are degraded

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How Do Deserts Develop and Change?

• Rain Shadow Effect
• Cold Ocean Currents
• Change in Climate

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Where Does It Occur?

• Africa
• Most affected country
• Two thirds is dry lands or desert
• 73 of the agricultural dry lands are moderately
  or severely degraded.

• Asia
•  Asia is the most seriously affected continent.
• Deserts affected China, India, Iran, Mongolia
  and Pakistan

• Latin America and the Caribbean
• 20,533 000 km2 or ¼ is deserts and dry lands
• Large parts of Colombia and Venezuela are highly
  degraded.
• Poverty line 

Desertification affects over 100 countries around
the world
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Where Are the Dry Lands?
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What Causes Desertification?
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What Are the Affects?

• Desertification affects 250 million people
• Desertification affects 18 of people in
  developed countries

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Case Study Ethiopia
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China

• losing million acres per year
• 1/5 of the land is desert
• 20 of population, 7 of arable land

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Downward Spiral

• Indirect Drivers
• Demographics
• Economic
• Socio Political
• Science Technology

Political Economic Instability
Over grazing Expansion of Cropped Areas
Increased Soil Erosion
Reduced Vegetation Cover
Large-Scale Expansion of Irrigation
Salinization
Reduced Biological Productivity

• Directs Drivers
• Drought
• Climate Change

Reduced Human Well-Being , Poverty, Emigration
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Video Mongolia

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vivcMMPzmKkYfeature
  fvst

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The Way-Out

• Indirect Drivers
• Demographics
• Economic
• Socio Political
• Science Technology

Political Economic Stability Prosperity
Alternative Livelihoods
Improved Crop Livestock Production
Small-Scale Irrigation of High-Value Crops
Soil, Water, Range Conservation Improved
technology
Low Salinization Risk
Reduced Soil Erosion
Increased Biological Productivity
Reduced Stress on Land Water Resources
Improved Human Well-Being
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What is the Effect?

• Infant Mortality rate in dry lands is 10x higher
  than in industrial countries

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What Are the Solutions?

• Free Trade Products
• Sustainable Farming Practices
• Government Policies

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What do Government Policies Provide?

• Property rights land security.
• Regulate sustainable development.
• Restrict land use.
• Promote informative procedural rights

The German agency for Technical Co-operation also
believes that poverty desertification can only
be overcome with increased parliamentary
involvement.
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What is the UNCCD?

• The United Nations Convention to Combat
  Desertification Mandate
• We propose under the auspices of the
  inter-parliamentary union- of a parliamentary
  Network on the UNCCD, a Network of information,
  interaction, and influence aimed at increasing
  parliamentary involvement and efficiency in the
  fields of desertification, soil erosion, and land
  degradation. Havana 2003
• The UNCCD plays key role in eradicating poverty
  desertification
• 1st round table meeting in Dakar 1997
• 179 countries are part of the UNCCD

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Success Stories

• "The United Nations once dealt only with
  Governments. By now we know that peace and
  prosperity cannot be achieved without
  partnerships involving Governments, international
  organizations, the business community and civil
  society. In today's world, we depend on each
  other.
• Maradi and Zinder regions of Niger 5 million
  hectares re-greened

• Yatenga Region of Burkino Faso
• 1/6 of the population was forced to leave their
  homes
• traditional conservation methods by planting
  trees in what the call zai holes

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A story of Hope Mrs. Wangari Maathai

• I am working to make sure we dont only protect
  the environment, we also improve the governance.
• Mrs. Wangari maathai
• Kenyas environment Minister
• Started movement across Africa to slow
• deforestation
• Movement grew to include projects that
• Help preserve biodiversity
• Educate people about the environment
• Promote womens rights
• The work of Wangari Maathai is proof that
  responsible leadership will be the only salvation
  for Africa.
• Craig H, London