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Soil erosion is the main factor for soil degradation and is due to several mechanisms: water erosion, wind erosion, chemical degradation and physical degradation. Erosion can be influenced by human activity. For example, roads which increase impermeable surfaces lead to streaming and ground loss.
All of these causes have contributed to the degradation of fertile soil, posing a serious threat to the livelihoods of millions of Africans who rely on the land for subsistence. In the Sahel, desertification is mostly attributed to wind erosion. [24] To put it simply, wind erosion is the phenomenon when a strong wind removes a field's topsoil.
[35] [36] There is growing evidence that tillage erosion is a major soil erosion process in agricultural lands, surpassing water and wind erosion in many fields all around the world, especially on sloping and hilly lands [37] [38] [39] A signature spatial pattern of soil erosion shown in many water erosion handbooks and pamphlets, the eroded ...
Sand and water on the side of the road, causing erosion on the environment Plastic bags dumped by the road side in Katete in mbarara district in western Uganda. The erosion caused by rains, rivers and winds as well as over-use of soils for agriculture and low use of manures have resulted in turning the soils infertile, as for example, in the plains of the Nile and the Orange River.
Increased Erosion: Loss of soil's natural vegetation cover due to desertification is a major driver of soil erosion, with wind and water erosion causing widespread degradation (Katsina State survey). Gully erosion, previously less significant in Nigeria, has increased significantly, resulting in damage to agricultural lands. [62]
Soil erosion is the result of natural physical forces, such as water and wind, gradually wearing away the topsoil in a field. [5] This process can be slow and inconspicuous or occur rapidly, leading to significant topsoil loss. [5] Apart from soil erosion, there are other severe soil degradation issues, including soil compaction, reduced ...
The increase of desertification has also increased the amount of loose sand and dust that the wind can pick up ultimately resulting in a storm. For example, dust storms in the Middle East “are becoming more frequent and intense in recent years” because “long-term reductions in rainfall [cause] lower soil moisture and vegetative cover”. [25]
Africa itself is located in an area where climate is unpredictable, making them vulnerable to climate change and while Southern Africa is semi-arid, it puts them at risk for desertification. Desertification causes an increase in soil erosion , making it difficult for plants to grow.