Desertification/Soil erosion

Desertification is the turning of land into desert. It occurs on the fringes of the Sahara desert in an area called the Sahel.





It is caused when the soil is exposed to the wind or sudden downpours so washing or blowing the soil or sand away. The ground is exposed due to deforestation and overgrazing of the land by cattle. As a result, no soil means no crops can be grown and so famine, starvation and migration. The solutions are aforestation, keeping smaller animal herds e.g. goats, finding alternative livelihoods besides cattle, alternative sources of energy besides fuelwood, contour ploughing, building terraces and dams to prevent soil being blown away.

This BBC webpage gives you more information and some solutions.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6247802.stm

This moviemaker may help with your understanding of the issues.