World Day to Combat Desertification

By-

Nikita Jangra 

“Human use, Population and Technology have reached that certain stage where Mother Earth no longer accepts our presence with SILENCE.”        ~ Dalai Lama

In the Modern Era, man has used earth resources extensively without any sustainable approach and due to this; we are facing consequences in terms of Global Warming, Climate Change, Desertification, Flooding, and many more…

Desertification is one of the major global significant environmental issues.

It is the destruction of the biological potential of land, where land eventually starts losing its water holding capacity and further its wildlife and vegetation.

Causes of Desertification:

• Over Grazing

• Deforestation: It is extensive cutting down of trees over a large area for purpose of timber, shelter

• Increased Agriculture: In modern agriculture practices, the use of pesticides, fertilizer has increased which directly affects the fertility of soil and weakening of plants roots

• Flooding: It is the over-flowing of water and has an impact on the degradation of land fertility. Moving water at high speed also flows down the uppermost nutritive soil which leads to the formation of mineral deficit soil.

• Urbanization

 Impacts of Desertification:

• Environmental Impacts:-

1. Increased Soil Erosion

2. Water Pollution

3. Shortage of Rainfall

4. Loss of Biodiversity

5. Drought

• Social Impacts:-

1. Rise in Famine and Poverty

2. More Water Crisis (According to Global Outlook Report, about 4 billion people face water stress for about a month in a year, and about half a billion people suffer permanent water crises)

In India, about 105.48 million hectares of land is undergoing land degradation, and 81.45 million hectares of area is under desertification.

Initiatives Taken So Far:

Globally,

Great Green Wall is a famous initiative taken by African Union to Combat Desertification. It says that by 2030, about 100 million hectares of degraded land will be restored.

In India, Government has taken a few control measures which are:-

• National Afforestation Program

• National Mission For Green India

• Desert Development Program

• Fodder and Feed Development Scheme

It is high time when we together can do our little to combat this problem. It may include the disuse of unconventional cotton shirts which require 2700 liters of water to produce 1 shirt.  

By-

Nikita Jangra

B.Sc. Life Science, 3^rd Year

Hansraj College