Desertification-When Soil Asks For Help

Desertification - When Soil Asks For Help

( By Bhavya Pundir ) 

Image By:- Darshika Singh

AILING SOIL:-

Desertification is a phenomenon by which the land becomes desert due to the natural or human causes which ultimately reduces the biological productivity of the drylands (arid and semiarid lands). 

Deforestation, overgrazing, political instability, climate change, and other unsuitable irrigation practices can undermine the Productivity of land. 

Desertification is also known as desertization which does not refer to the physical expansion of deserts, but rather to various processes that threaten all drylands including deserts, scrublands, and grasslands.  

 

It is deplorable that one-fifth of the world's land is threatened by desertification. United National environment programme (UNEP) consulate that desertification has affected 14 million square miles and is a major international dilemma. It is the most severe environmental challenge, where the lives of 250 million people are affected by desertification. The wretched actuality is that desertification will go to displace 135 million people by 2045.  

Desertification leads to a negative impact on both the humanity as well as soil. Africa is considered to be the most affected continent by desertification. 

Consequently, as the Africa population increases, the land productivity supporting that population thereby decreases. Irrigated cropland, rain-fed cropland have been at least moderately harmed by desertification. 

How desertification occurs? 

Desertification is basically the result of variations in climate. Climatic changes that result in droughts can rapidly diminish the biological productivity of such an ecosystem. Climatic changes can be temporary or permanent lasting over many years. 

On the other part, humans, plants, and animals are expeditious to take advantage of the wetter period, and productivity can rapidly increase during these times. 

Since the dryland environments are used for agriculture, animal grazing and fuelwood collection, these type of several activities undertaken can exacerbate the problem of desertification.  

Consequences of desertification:- 

The main result of desertification is the damage to soil and it is said that a nation that destroys its soils, destroys itself. It leads to 

• crop failure 

• Scarcity of fuelwood. 

• Sedimentation of rivers and lakes results in flooding 

• Reduction in Woody Biomass. 

• Loss of forage for livestock. 

• Increased sand due to intrusion onto croplands. 

Soil needs help:- 

Actions are needed to prevent soil damages and reverse desertification. Various policies interventions and changes in management approaches should be implemented at local to global scales. Addressing desertification is critical but soil conservation is often at the priority. Various techniques helping soil erosion: 

Irrigation improvement:- It can prevent salt accumulation and water loss through evaporation. 

Covering the crops:- Covering crops will prevent both crops and soil from wind and water. 

Crop rotation:- It is the alteration of different crops on the same plot of land in different Seasons which can induce the productivity of soil and thereby result in maintaining the nutrients of soil within. 

Rotational grazing:- It involves the grazing of livestock on a different area of land unless livestock can cause permanent damage to plants and soil of any particular area. 

Windbreaks:- Involves the planting of fast-growing trees in lines after considering the right angles. Windbreaks are used to slow wind-driven, causing soil erosion. The trees bind the soil particles together and thereby eliminates the damage caused to the soil. 

Contour binding:- It involves the placement of stones in lines along with the landscape’s natural Rises and contour farming. They inhibit wind erosion by keeping witty and heavy. 

Terracing:- It referred to the establishment of multiple levels of flat ground that appears as the longest step like Hill slides. Terracing helps in reducing soil erosion and reload overall water loss. 

Stabilization of dunes:- It involves the conversion of plant community which lives along the side of the dune. The upper part of the plant helps in protecting the soil from coming surface winds, and the roots network below bind the soil particles together and thereby helping soil from desertification. 

These are some techniques that can be used to reverse desertification and eventually helping the soil and preserving its biological productivity and nutrients. 

Conclusion:-

Desertification probably affects all soil functions and will snatch away the nutrients of the soil. Addressing desertification will eradicate extreme poverty and ensure environmental stability. 

Soil is life and life is soil, we need to acknowledge and take preventive actions to reduce the soil damages. At the world day to combat desertification, awareness about international standards to combat desertification is generated to remind everyone of the value of soil.  

Considering the ongoing pandemic situation, we can reduce the effect of COVID-19 on global poverty and food insecurities, straightening the resilience of food and water system. In my perspective, soil should not be ever in a condition of asking for help, it should be ever flamboyant otherwise we all would be responsible for any loss to nature. 

       

"Healthy soil= healthy human"  

Disclaimer:-

The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Light de Literacy and LDL does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.