Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
They are especially susceptible to damage from excessive human land use pressure. [3] The causes of desertification are a combination of natural and human factors, with climate change exacerbating the problem. Despite this, there is a common misconception that desertification in Africa is solely the result of natural causes like climate change ...
The Gobi desert continues to expand northward, with over 70% of Mongolia's land degraded through overgrazing, deforestation, and climate change. [64] In addition, the Mongolia government has listed forest fires, blights, unsustainable forestry and mining activities as leading causes of desertification in the country. [65]
The large scale felling of trees and the resulting decreases in forest areas are the main environmental issues of the African Continent. Rampant clearing of forests and land conversion goes on for agriculture, settlement and fuel needs. [3] Ninety percent of Africa's population requires wood to use as fuel for heating and cooking.
Desertification is one of the issues of environmental concern in Nigeria, particularly the northern part of the country. According to UNEP [4] in 1993, Northern Nigeria has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world at about 3.5%, caused by land degradation, increase in agricultural intensity, over-grazing of livestock, and demand for fuel by cutting down trees.
Ghana's drylands in the northern Sudanese and Guinea savannah regions are especially at risk from erosion; in these areas, land deterioration is known as "desertification." The risk of desertification is present on about 35% of Ghana's land. An estimated $1.4 billion, or 6% of Ghana's GDP, is lost to land degradation each year in the country. [3]
Long-term drought in Nigeria has resulted in desertification and a shortage of land for raising cattle and growing crops. [1] To obtain land for farming or grazing, farmers and herdsmen are encouraged to go to new areas, which frequently leads to violence [2] [3] [4] Herdsmen and farmers have been engaged in increasingly violent fights over the previous two years.
By 2008, deforestation in Africa was estimated to be occurring at twice the world average rate, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). [5] [6] [7] Some sources claim that deforestation has already wiped out roughly 90% of West Africa's original forests. [8] [9] Today, deforestation is accelerating in Central Africa. [10]
The causes of both drought and desertification are multifaceted and intricate, stemming primarily from the intricate interplay between climatic factors and human activities in the environment. These causes encompass: Climatic Variability: Climatic variations serve as a significant catalyst for numerous environmental degradation issues ...