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Desertification is a gradual process of increased soil aridity.Desertification has been defined in the text of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as "land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities."
Desertification in Africa is exacerbated by human factors such as deforestation, overgrazing, and unsustainable farming methods such as monoculture and excessive use of chemical fertilizers. For example, deforestation reduces the quantity of plants that may anchor soil and protect it from erosion, whereas overgrazing depletes vegetation and ...
In Ghana, there are several factors contributing to desertification, but deforestation is the main one. [15] In order to achieve agricultural and commercial goals, this entails cutting down trees, which exposes the soil and destroys vegetation that prevents desertification. [16]
Ninety percent of Africa's population requires wood to use as fuel for heating and cooking. As a result, forested areas are decreasing daily, as for example, in the region of equatorial evergreen forests. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, Africa's desertification rate is twice that of the world's. [4] Deforestation of ...
Desertification is caused by such factors as drought, climatic shifts, tillage for agriculture, overgrazing and deforestation. Vegetation plays a major role in determining the composition of the soil. In many environments, the rate of erosion and run off increases dramatically with reduced vegetation cover. [115]
The Nama Karoo in South Africa is a xeric shrubland that receives between 100 and 500 millimetres (4 and 20 in) of rain a year. [3]The conversion of productive drylands to desert conditions, known as desertification, can occur from a variety of causes.
The UNDP report on climate change in Yemen, desertification is a major environmental issue intensified by climate change and human activities. The country faces severe droughts, unpredictable rainfall, and higher temperatures, all contributing to the degradation of arid and semi-arid land that makes up over 90% of its territory.
At least 90% of Mongolia's pastureland has experienced some level of desertification. [3] Between 1996 and 2009 up to a third of rivers dried out or were impacted by drought conditions. [3] It has been found that desertification is predominantly (approximately 87%) caused by human factors rather than natural factors.