Chapter three
Human is main and supreme creature on Earth. Humans have
been living on Earth for millions of years. The Earth has been
created for his own good and service. However, mankind faces
countless challenges to survive. One of the most dangerous
challenges that human faces is desertification with its many effects
on human and the earth. Desertification is the dangerous enemy
that stalks and causes damage to the environment, supplies,
health, social and economic aspects.
To start with the effects of desertification on environment. Living
organisms are important in the environment such as plants,
animals, fungi and microorganisms. Desertification is a serious
environmental challenge that negatively affects human life and
ecosystems.
Desertification greatly affects biodiversity and all living organisms,
including plants, animals,
fungi and microorganisms.
Desertification leads to the
destruction of the natural
habitats in which living
organisms live, making
them unable to live and
reproduce. When the land
containing grasses, plants
and water turns into a
desert, animals lose their
food sources and shelter,
which will lead to their
extinction. The
disappearance of a type of
plant that some animals
depend on may lead to
their extinction. In addition,
desertification leads to a major problem as it affects the
environmental interactions between living organisms. For example,
the extinction of plants leads to the death of herbivorous animals
and the increase of predators, which will affect the ecosystem.
Desertification greatly affects agriculture as it affects the soil,
leading to a decrease in vegetation cover, especially invasive
grasses and shrubs. Decreased crop yields are linked to soil
degradation and loss of essential nutrients. This makes the land
unsuitable for agriculture, which is what desertification causes. In
addition, desertification makes the soil more solid and less able to
retain water and store rainwater, so the land becomes dry and
unable to produce agricultural crops.
The second effect of desertification is the effect on supplies and
health. Human needs supplies to survive. The two main elements
of survival are food and water. Desertification destroys the soil and
makes it fragile, which leads to a decrease in agricultural land
productivity and increases food it fragile, which leads to a
decrease in agricultural land productivity and increases food
shortages, so it threatens food security and increase the rate of
poverty, malnutrition and hanger. The weakness of soil and
vegetation cover from desertification leads to a decrease in the
ability of the land to retain water. Also, desertification increases
evaporation and surface runoff. All these effects lead to a lack of
water, which in turn leads to the use of impure water, which
increases the likelihood of contracting the diseases.
One the health side, desertification is a threat that cannot be
ignored for human life. With the erosion of the surface soil and
disappearance of the vegetation cover, the strong wind raises dust
particles, which leads to dust storms that reduce air quality and
withstand harmful pollutants to long distances. Inhalation of this
dust leads to a range of respiratory problem, from mild irritation to
serious conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. In addition,
desertification contributes to the speed of infectious diseases due
to the mass migrations of individuals to escape the lack of
supplies.
The third effect of desertification is the effect on social . There are
many effects of desertification on social. The first effect of social
impacts resulting from desertification is forced migration and
displacement. It is one of the most extremely harmful to the
people. It happens when land becomes unsuitable for farming and
grazing due to desertification, many families are forced to leave
their homes and move to other places to search of better living
conditions. This causes cities to become overcrowding and puts a
lot of pressure on essential services such as housing, education
and healthcare. The same thing is happening right now and will
happen in the future. The United Nations Convention to combat
desertification could displace 50 million people around the world in
the next ten years. when you think about it, it is just a natural
response for any living organism to survive "fight or flight".
Also, desertification increasing the poverty and unemployment.
Money people that live in dry areas depend on farming as their
primary source to earn a living. However, as land quality worsens,
farming becomes impossible, people lose the primary source,
leading to widespread poverty and unemployment. Those who
migrate to cities often struggle to find jobs because they lack the
necessary skills for urban employment. As a result, many end up
living in poor condition or taking low paying jobs just to survive.
Furthermore, there effect on social, which makes violent conflicts
are conflicts over resources. As farmland and water become
scarce, people start competing for them, which can lead to
conflicts between communities. In some places, like the Sahel
region in Africa, desertification has made existing problems worse
between groups, leading to violence and instability, especially in
areas with weak governments.
Moreover, desertification is harmful on education and tradition.
Children who are forced to migrate with their families often lose
access to education, which affects their future and keeps them
stuck in poverty. In addition, desertification leads people to loss
their traditional. When families are forced to migrate, they leave
behind their traditional way and culture of life. This weakens
traditional communities, and people have to adjust to new
environments that may be very different from what they are used
to. This can be difficult and create social challenges.
The fourth effect of desertification is influencing the economy.
Desertification can be a cause of economic weakness if resources
are not managed sustainably. Economic risks of desertification
include the high cost of land rehabilitation.
When land deteriorates due to desertification. Poverty increases.
Decreased agricultural productivity and deteriorating sources of
income in rural areas lead to increased poverty rates. This shift
negatively affects the local economy. It increases countries'
dependence on imports from other countries. Consequently, it
leads to higher food prices and weakens the balance of payments.
Also Biological productivity is lost as a result of natural processes
or as a result of human activities, and desertification has a
significant impact on the economic situation of the country, as it
leads to a loss of approximately ($400 billion) annually in
agricultural crops and thus an increase in its prices.
It can lead to migration and social unrest, the displacement of
people from desertification areas and social and economic
problems in cities. Governments may spend huge amounts of
money to combat desertification and provide food and water to
those affected. Desertification affects everyone, from individuals to
governments, threatening food security, economic stability, and the
global environment.
