Team:Imperial College London/Project/Background

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  <div id="maptitle">Sub-saharan Africa
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  <div id="maptext">Africa is the region most affected by desertification. Two thirds of the continent is covered by dryland which is used extensively for agricultural production. Over-cultivation has led to large scale degradation, exacerbated by frequent drought, leading to extreme food scarcity for some 650 million people who are dependent on the affected land. If the degradation trend continues, it is estimated that two thirds of Africa’s arable may be lost by 2025 (FAO 2009).In an effort to combat desertification, 11 countries along the southern border of the Sahara are involved in the Great Green Wall project. With the help of international aid, the objective is to cover 8,000 km of dryland with vegetation as a protective barrier from erosive forces. However the operation is extremely time consuming and will take a long time before it is established.
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Revision as of 11:57, 3 August 2011


What is Desertification
Desertification is the degradation of drylands which include arid, semi-arid and sub-humid areas. Drylands make up roughly 40 percent of the Earth’s land and are home to some two billion people, most of which live in developing countries. Dryland soil sustains a fragile ecosystem adapted to infrequent precipitation and dramatic temperature changes. Over-exploitation of dryland for cultivation and feedstock purposes renders the soil unproductive, forcing migration of communities in search of fertile land, leaving the unproductive land bare and vulnerable to erosive forces. A lack of food supply in many developing countries forces constant cultivation of land for short-term gain as well as deforestation to provide arable land.
Case Studies
Sub-saharan Africa
Africa is the region most affected by desertification. Two thirds of the continent is covered by dryland which is used extensively for agricultural production. Over-cultivation has led to large scale degradation, exacerbated by frequent drought, leading to extreme food scarcity for some 650 million people who are dependent on the affected land. If the degradation trend continues, it is estimated that two thirds of Africa’s arable may be lost by 2025 (FAO 2009).In an effort to combat desertification, 11 countries along the southern border of the Sahara are involved in the Great Green Wall project. With the help of international aid, the objective is to cover 8,000 km of dryland with vegetation as a protective barrier from erosive forces. However the operation is extremely time consuming and will take a long time before it is established.
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