DESERTIFICATION

CAUSES
AND
MANAGEMENT
RIMSHA TAHIR
AASIYA TAJ
LAILA BATOOL
Contents
Introduction
Desertification
Type of desertification
Desertification worldwide
Causes of desertification
Counter measure
In Pakistan
 Deserts
A large , dry , barren , usually having sandy
Or rocky soil and no vegetation. water lost
to evaporation and transpiration in a desert
exceeds the amount of precipitation; most
deserts average less than 25 cm(9.75inches)
of precipitation each year , concentrated in
Short local bursts.
 Deserts of the world
Approximately one-third of the earth’s land
Surface is desert, arid land with meager rainfall
that support only sparse vegetation and a
limited population of people and animals.
 Desertification
Desertification is a type of land degradation in
which a relatively dry region becomes
increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of
water as well as vegetation and wildlife. Its is
caused by a variety of factors. Desertification
is a significant global ecological and
environmental problem.

(ARID; lacking moisture , especially having

insufficient rainfall to support trees or woody
plants)
CATEGORIES OF DESERTIFICATION
 Light desertification: In this type of
desertification, a very slight damage occurs in
vegetation cover and soil. This damage does not
affect the biological capacity of the environment
and can be neglected.
 Moderate desertification: A medium degree of
vegetation cover occurs and formation of small
sand dunes and salinization of the soil which
reduces production by 10-25%
 Severe desertification: in this type spreading of
weeds and unwanted shrubs in the pasture at the
expense of desirable and wanted species occurs
as well as increasing of the erosion activity which
affects the vegetation cover and reduces
production up to 50% .

 Very severe desertification: in this type of

desertification , composition of active naked great
sand dunes occurs and formation of many grooves
and valleys and the salinization of the soil which
leads to soil degradation.
 How Wide Spread Desertification Is?

• About one third of the worlds land surface is

arid or semi arid. Worldwide, desertification is
making approximately 12million hectares
useless for cultivation every year.
• Since 1950 desertification has made 135
millon people homeless.
• Every year, desertification generates income
losses totalling USD 42 billion.
 Causes of Desertification
 There are 4 main factors in desertification
 Drought
 Over grazing
 Over cultivation
 Tree uses for fuel and shelter
Drought
 A long period without rainfall.
 Causes crops to die.
 Lack of food.
 May have to move to find food.
Over Grazing
 Too many animals grazing on the land.
 Animals eat all the vegetation.
 Vegetation fail to grow.
 Soil is exposed to rain and wind.
 Soil is wished or blown away.
Over Cultivation
 Many crops being grown on the land year
after year.
 No rotation of crops.
 Crops takes all the nutrients from the soil.
 The soil become infertile and nothing can
grow.
Removal of Trees for Fuels and Shelter

 Few trees in deserts, their roots hold the soil

together.
 When the trees are removed the roots die and
soil become loose.
 Counter Measures & Prevention for
Desertification
Desertification is a major threat to biodiversity.
Some countries have developed Biodiversity
Action Plans to counter its effects.
 Reforestation.
 Fixation of soil.
 Counter trenching.
 Farmer-managed natural regeneration.
 Managed grazing.
Reforestation
 Is the natural intentional restocking of existing
forest and woodlands that have been
depleted, usually through deforestation.
 It can be used rebuild the natural habitats of
ecosystem, improve the quality of human life
by soaking up pollution and dust from the air,
and harvest the resource.
Fixation of soil
 Fixation of soil can be done through the use of shelter
belts, woodlots and windbreaks.
 Some soil ( e.g. clay), due to lack of water can become
consolidated rather than porous. Some techniques as
tillage are then used to still allow the planting of crops.
 Enriching and restoration of its fertility is often done by
plants.
 The leguminous plants and foods crops/trees as grains ,
barley , beans and dates are the most important.
TILLAGE

SHELTER BELTS
Counter Trenching
 Is an agricultural technique that can be easy
applied in arid sub areas to allow for water in
soil conservation and to increase agricultural
production.
 This involves the digging of 150m long , 1m deep
trenches in the soil. Trenches are made parallel
to the height line of the landscape, preventing
water from flowing within the trenches and
causing erosion. Stone walls are placed around
the trenches to prevent it from closing up again.
Farmer –managed natural regeneration

 It is a simple and low-cost method enabled

farmers to regenerate some 30,000 sq. km.
 The process involves enabling native sprouting
tree growth though selective pruning of
shrubs shoots.
 The residue from pruned trees can be used to
provide mulching for fields thus increasing soil
water retention and reducing evaporation.
Managed grazing
 A method proposed to restore grasslands by
using fences with many small paddocks and
moving herds from one paddock to another
after a day or two in order to mimic natural
grazers and allowing the grass to grow
optimally.
DESERTIFICATION IN
PAKISTAN
Main factors Responsible For Desertification
in Pakistan
 Unscientific land use practices and
mismanagement of land and water resources.
 Indiscriminate removal of trees , shrubs and
other vegetation to meet the fuel wood and
other needs.
 Rapid growth in population resulting in
extension in cultivation and an increase in the
livestock pressure.
 Causes of Desertification in Pakistan

In the Pakistan desertification usually happens

due to:
 Natural Factors
 Man induced factors
 Natural factors
 The important natural factors responsible for
the desertification is climate.
 In this overall dryness of the atmosphere in the
arid regions causes low and sporadic rainfall
and high rate evaporation.
 For example total geographical area of Pakistan
is 79.6 million hectares of which 41.00 million
hectares is arid including 10 million hectares of
sandy desert.
 The province wise break up is under

 Punjab…………………..>12.0Million Hectares
 Sindh…………………….>13.5Million Hectares
 Baluchistan……………>14.9Million Hectares
 Kpk………………………..>0.6 Million Hectares

Total: 41.0Million Hectares

 Main Induced Factors
 The economic activity of man is the main reasons for over
exploitation of soil , plant , air and water resources causing
desertification in Pakistan.
The two major may be grouped as:
 Primary Factors:
 The man induced primary factors includes.
o Degradation of vegetative cover:
 The degradation of vegetative cover causes desertification due
to:
i. Trees cutting
ii. Overgrazing
iii. Bush fires
Water Erosion
 Water erosion result by the flow of water.
 When runoff passes over soil surface on which the
vegetation is not adequate it removes fertile soil
from the parent rock.
Wind Erosion
 The removal of finer soil particles by high wind is
serious in region of low rainfall where there is not
enough vegetation to cover and protect the soil.
 The hazard is increased by destruction of vegetation
through overgrazing and cutting of wood for fuel.
 Water logging & salinity
 Due to perennial canal irrigation system the
dynamic equilibrium between groundwater
recharge and discharge become unbalanced.
 The percolation of water from canal and irrigated
areas is greater than the rate which water being
discharged from the aquifer.
 This is because canals are unlined and irrigation to
agricultural crop is not done on science line.
 As a result; water table raises rapidly, this results in
water logging.
Total area under irrigation is million hectares of
which 2.1 million hectares are affected by
water logging.

Climate Zone Affected Area (million hectares)

 Arid 1.87
 Semi arid 0.18
 Sub humid 0.05

Total: 2.1 (Million Hectares)

 Secondary factors
 Expansion of cultivation to marginal lands.
 Reduction in organic mater.
 Urbanization.
 Soil compaction & excess of toxic substances.
 Is there a link between
desertification, global climate
change,and biodiversity loss?