What are the impacts of desertification in the Sahel?

What are the impacts of desertification in the Sahel?

The effects of desertification In 2014 the UN stated that 20million people in the Sahel region of Africa faced hunger and required $2 billion in food aid due to desertification. The loss of vegetation can cause severe soil erosion. The nutrients in the soil get washed or leached away leaving soil infertile.

What are the impacts of desertification on the environment?

Desertification may alter the living conditions of the local flora and fauna that makes it impossible for animals and plants to sustain their populations. After desertification, regions suffer from water shortages due to climate change and animals may suffer and die since water is vital for all life on our planet.

How does desertification threaten the Sahel region of Africa?

Desertification is a man-induced process that leads to soil nutrient depletion and reduction of biological productivity. In the Sahel slashing and burning of natural forest and bushland in order to clear land for annual agriculture is the main cause of this destruction.

What is desertification and why is it a problem in the Sahel?

The Sahel is a narrow belt of land which lies immediately to the south of the Sahara Desert and which extends across most of Africa. The main causes of desertification include: Overgrazing – an increasing population results in larger desert areas being farmed. Sheep, cattle and goats are overgrazing the vegetation.

What are the 5 consequences of desertification?

outside the immediately affected areas–downstream flooding, reduced water quality, sedimentation in rivers and lakes, silt sediment in reservoirs and navigation channels, dust storms and sand drifting; Consequences of desertification (Cont.)

What are the negative impacts of desertification?

In addition, the delegates considered the varied consequences of desertification, such as crop failures or decreased yields in rain-fed farmland, the loss of perennial plant cover and thus loss of forage for livestock, reduced woody biomass and thus scarcity of fuelwood and building materials, a decrease in potable …

How can desertification affect humans?

Land degradation and desertification can affect human health through complex pathways. As land is degraded and deserts expand in some places, food production is reduced, water sources dry up and populations are pressured to move to more hospitable areas. the spread of infectious diseases as populations migrate.

What are the main causes of desertification?

‘Climatic variations’ and ‘Human activities’ can be regarded as the two main causes of desertification. removal of the natural vegetation cover(by taking too much fuel wood), agricultural activities in the vulnerable ecosystems of arid and semi-arid areas, which are thus strained beyond their capacity.

How does desertification affect wildlife?

When there are insufficient rains, the water bodies also become completely dry or slightly lower the level of water than average. The lands also turn bare, leaving nothing for the animals to feed. This causes devastating effects on the health of the animal and frequently results in death.

What is the main cause of desertification?