Hello Folks!!!

It’s great to be back! Feels like an eternity since I connected with you!

I am continuing my quest to raise awareness regarding the topic- Sustainability. And would like to tell you about the concept of Desertification.

So without wasting time, let’s get started on this.

Often you see pictures on social media where certain cities of China are reeling under a sandstorm. And you wonder, ‘Good God! Why is this happening?’ Let me tell you the reason

This is because the Gobi Desert is spreading its wings. And, slowly swallowing cities, especially on its fringes. Though reports state that the desert has not reached areas that are majorly populated, like Shanghai and Beijing, one never knows when this might be a reality.

Often termed as a dust storm or a sandstorm-the phenomenon turns the city skies hazy and emits a different hue that is similar to the ambiance of a sci-fi film. But though a movie is for entertainment, and not a cause of worry. Such occurrences that are becoming increasingly common are concerning. Because they are the direct consequence of Desertification or Desertization!

Maybe in a single reading, one might think that Desertification is a term used to signify that the desert area is increasing in size. However, that’s not true!

But in reality, the implications are far more averse than common comprehension.

Desertization means- the permanent degradation of drylands.

Before we dig deeper, a quick peek into the definition of drylands.

According to Wikipedia, drylands are defined as

* “Drylands are defined by a scarcity of water. Drylands are zones where precipitation is balanced by evaporation from surfaces and by transpiration by plants.”

Desertification can be thus explained as the transformation of habitable land into an uninhabitable desert. This implies that terrestrial areas which lose their dense foliage become arid. Due to lack of shade from trees, crops, and vegetation.

So, in a nutshell, desertification is the process through which land loses its arability. And as it is with every gift of Nature, once lost, the arability of the land is irrecoverable.

Desertification is a major threat to all the dryland ecosystems that exist across the world. These ecosystems include deserts, grasslands, scrublands, and all those areas that receive low or varying rainfall.  These ecosystems occupy approximately 40% of the globe! Just imagine the expanse and the power of these areas.

So, what are the primary reasons for Desertization?

They are as follows:

  1. Natural Process
  2. Human-Induced activities.

In all practicalities, every change that takes place in a natural pattern or according to the laws of Nature is not a point of concern. As that is in no one’s hands. But unfortunately, the world is seeing drastic changes as a direct result of human-induced activities.

And Desertization is one of the many challenges that mankind has to overcome to guarantee the sustenance of the planet.

Moving on, the chief causes of Desertization are:

  1. Deforestation: Unplanned and random destruction of forests creates space for animal agriculture as well as the growing of crops. The reason is that the soil loses its minerals, moisture, and its capacity to stay firmly rooted.
  2. Overgrazing by Livestock
  3. Overdrawing groundwater and unsustainable irrigation that leads to its depletion.
  4. The rapid urbanization of cities in countries around the world. And to achieve this destruction of forests are unavoidable. The use of harmful pesticides also makes the land arid and unfit after a certain number of years.

All these factors impact the climate. And as it is known to all,

Climate Change is here. When you hear about the extreme weather conditions or unseasonal snowfall or rainfall in certain areas -all these are examples of a changing weather pattern. And when these alterations occur, the precipitation levels also see a drift. And thus, there is an overall imbalance that the world experiences. Such incidents too, lead to land becoming devoid of water. Thus, leading to Desertification.

Side Effects:

  • One of the foremost side effects of desertification is food production. As vegetation is dependent on land fertility. Apart from humankind, even livestock will lose their source of food.
  • The diverse flora and fauna will be lost
  • There will be a water shortage due to a major area receiving zero precipitation.
  • Ever since COVID 19 has ruled the world, a different set of diseases called Zoonotic diseases are being spoken about. These diseases are normally found in animals who reside in the depth of the forests. But due to deforestation or animal agriculture, they get transmitted to humans.

But how can we fight Desertization?

One of the simplest techniques is to make the Earth a greener and cleaner place. This can be achieved by planting more trees and conserving the ancient forests that are Carbon Sinks.

As this blog begins with dust storms in China.

Do you know?

The culturally rich land has planted a wall of greenery across the country that acts as a barrier. And taking cue and inspiration from their Chinese counterparts, even the citizens of Africa are in the process of doing the same across their countries.

An interesting fact about the Sahara Desert:

It’s believed that the Sahara Desert follows a cycle where its changes from a desert to a green area once every 20000 years. It is also believed that at one point in time the Sahara Desert was green and filled with forests, lakes, and fertile land, but due to humans tipping the balance-the ecosystem turned into a hot, sand-filled area devoid of water, soil, and other requisites.

To prevent desertification, degradation of land, soil, and its minerals needs to be avoided. Also, limited groundwater needs to be used sparingly.

Before I sign off, the need to do so is to ensure that future generations enjoy the bounty and beauty of nature.

Imagine a scenario, where the forthcoming groups have just images to visualize what the planet once was? Scary, isn’t it? Therefore, popularizing and practicing the concept of sustainability is the only way forward.

Anyway, that is all for now!

Oh Yes if you are looking for some light and fun short stories Click Here!

Bye

Take Care

References

Spectacular Deserts