What Is Desertification?

Human may be the worst source of all the negative impacts that happen on earth. We make conscious decisions every single day and most of our actions have in some ways impact positively or negatively on the environment whether or not we realize it. By living our comfortable lifestyles that we are used to, we subconsciously destroy the ecosystem that we rely on.

We are currently facing many environmental issues that have direct impacts on us even though it may not seem so like desertification. Many may not be aware of the issue or may not consider this environmental issue as something that would directly impact their lives. Since this issue may not be noticeable for most people and many may not understand the where this issue will lead into if desertification continues.

 Human activities pollute and degrade the quality of soils and land utility, it can affect human way of living and long-term health as the land dry, the food source will reduce, and so does water. The land will eventually become unlivable and people will eventually need to move to a more desirable area where is more suitable for human to survive.¹

There are many potential impacts from desertification on human health including malnutrition from the reduction of food and water supplies, more water and food become prone to diseases from the lack of hygiene and lack of clean water. Air will become more polluted which causes respiratory diseases, and we will have a higher chance to spread infectious diseases as population migrate.¹

The most effective way to prevent or even reverse desertification is planting more trees. To restore the ecosystem, there are many actions that can be taken including establishing seed banks, reintroducing selected species, enriching the soil and nutrients, and countering erosion through terracing and other measures.²

Reference:

1. “Climate Change: Land Degradation and Desertification.” World Health Organization. World Health Organization, October 20, 2020. https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/climate-change-land-degradation-and-desertification.
2. “Desertification.” Desertification: 6. How can we prevent or reverse desertification? Accessed June 2, 2021. https://www.greenfacts.org/en/desertification/l-2/6-prevention-desertification.htm.