Desertification : A Disaster In Rising

Desertification

Desertification : A Disaster In Rising

Technically, the desert is the area where just shrubs grow, not trees. In areas, where this is happening due to the elimination of groundwater, it has been named as desertification.

As the scope of the cities increases, the construction of roads, bridges, factories and railway lines, the elimination of agricultural land and the diminishing fertility of the remaining land, is another form of land degradation. The constant erosion of forest area is also a big reason for this, but the biggest reason is the chaotic behavior of the construction sector.

The transformation of fertile land into a desert is certainly a matter of great concern for the whole world. It is now seen as a slow natural disaster. The United Nations Intergovernmental Committee on Climate Change (IPCC) said in its report that 23 percent of the arable land in the world has been degraded. To combat this disaster, stopping carbon emissions is not enough. For this, changes will have to be made in agriculture, vegetarianism shall be encouraged and land needs to be used consciously.

In the rapid process of urbanization, concrete forests have been erected in the fields. Some lakes, rivers were flooded with soil to settle colonies, some parts of the land were filled with cement and sand, which made it even worse than ever. Colonies located far from the rivers were left dependent on groundwater, the continuous exploitation of which has also led to green areas becoming deserts. If we want to make the land fertile, then we will have to control the construction sector.

Other factors causing desertification include overgrazing, deforestation, farming practices, climate change, stripping of land for resources, natural disasters, urbanization, and other types of land development. Deforestation is a global ecological and environmental problem. As per UNESCO, one-third of total world land is endangered by desertification. It has now become one of the major environmental concerns. Its effects are going to impact the world very badly. If no solution to this problem is adopted, farming would become next to impossible in the coming time. Hunger, flooding, poor water quality, poverty, and overpopulation are some serious factors of concern that would impact us soon. Thus, we can assume that desertification is a disaster in rising.

We can prevent desertification by adopting land integration and water management systems. We must ensure protecting soil from getting eroded, from getting salinized and from other degrading factors as well. We must put our efforts into protecting vegetative cover. Local traditional practices should be accepted along with land-use technologies. Communities around the globe shall be made aware of methods to stop desertification. Educating our youth about desertification would probably the best measure to deal with this imminent danger. To take a step forward in this direction, we have to be ready to stop and think about the development process. The matter will be formed only when the society, as well as the government, changes its perspective. We should all stop playing the blame game and work together in order to control and stop desertification. The perfect time for action is to act now.

- Amit Choudhary

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