DESERTIFICATION IS LIKE A SKIN DISEASE

Lazarus Sauti

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frica's food and agricultural underdevelopment has perpetuated the poverty of the rural population and seriously jeopardised the long-term development of the continent.

This underdevelopment is caused by many factors but desertification is one of those factors. If left unchecked, desertification is going to destroy not only the environment of the continent but also the livelihoods of Africans.

This is so because desertification poses a great threat to Africa’s sustainable development.

It is like a skin disease and for the record, desertification is mainly caused by an area receiving extremely low amounts of preciption that are insufficient to support the growth of most plants.

Furthermore, desertification is driven by a number of factors such as tillage for agriculture; too many livestock on too little land; removal of crop residues for feed/construction use; deforestation for fuel wood and construction materials; and inappropriate irrigation practices that lead to salinity.

These contiguous causes in turn are associated with a wide range of root causes (drought, climate shifts, growing populations, poverty, inappropriate technology and insufficient research and development), some of which originate outside the dry lands.

Frankly, these contagious causes and other factors are exposing the African continent to many problems serious enough to hamper its development.

For instance, in Madagascar's central highland plateau, 10 percent of the entire country has been lost to desertification due to slash and burn agriculture by indigenous peoples.

In the continent known as the ‘cradle of humanity’, if current trends of soil degradation continue, the African continent might be able to feed just 25 percent of its population by 2025.

Dr. Mohamed A. S. Abdel-Monem, the regional Team Leader of Ecosystem Management for the United Nations Environment Program said: “Of the continent’s total land area, 66 percent is classified as arid or semi-arid and 73 percent of its agriculturally-useful dry land is already degraded.

“The UN Environmental Program estimates that owing to desertification, Africa loses some $9 billion a year, nearly 20 percent of the world’s annual $42 billion annual losses due to desertification.”

To solve problems caused by desertification means increase in the amount of food that can be grown in areas where people live and farm the land.

Therefore, political leaders and stakeholders in the environmental management industry should recognise the urgency and necessity to fight this scourge, owing to the threat it poses to the environment.

African nations should be responsible enough to come together and save our environment.

Dr. Mansour N’Diaye, Chief of Cabinet of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Secretariat believes involvement is the key to combat desertification.  

N’Diaye said, “People participation is crucial to stop desertification and to reclaiming lands.”

It is not a secret that deforestation causes desertification. Thus, Africans should critically deal with deforestation first to stop desertification.

Deforestation can be tackled by aforestation. Aforestation is re-planting trees, especially in shelter belts. Planting grasses can also help stabilise the soil and cut down on erosion by wind and rain.

Since overcultivation also causes desertification, Africans should be encouraged to use good forming practices such as proper crop rotation and the use of manure as a fertiliser. It is also important that the young trees are fenced off to prevent grazing by animals.

Proper irrigation practices can also stop desertification. Africans should make sure the water is not evaporated on the surface which wastes water and increases its salinity.

However limited technology, capacity and financial support are main barriers that affect the fight against desertification.

Therefore, the continent needs help from external or outside sources in the battle against this problem that is destroying Africa’s beautiful environment.

Furthermore, Africa needs to invest in technologies that help combat desertification. The continent should partner with China.  Abdel-Monem, China Africa magazine writer believes that China has the vast experience in combating desertification.

Abdel-Monem said, “China has experience with desertification monitoring and planning, sand control and industrial technologies. Thus, the African continent will benefit immensely from a smart partnership with China.”

Arable land is vital for Africa, both as a key asset for farmers and, together with vegetation, to help store carbon that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere and contribute to climate change.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that by 2030 Africa will lose two-thirds of its arable land if the march of desertification — the spread of arid, desert-like areas of land — is not stopped. Therefore, policy makers in Africa should think outside the box and come up with effective measures to stop this skin disease.