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Global Task

Desertification is a global environmental problem
40% of our earth consists of dry areas. In about 70% of these dry areas the negative effects of desertification have become obvious. About two billion people in more than 100 countries cause creeping degradation of the natural resources and are at the same times victims of this degradation. Very poor countries are affected most and cannot escape the vicious circle of poverty and desertification without help by others.

Vicious circle of poverty and desertification
A high population growth rate without adaptation of production methods in agricultural production and forestry lead to over-exploitation of the natural resources. Dry areas – with poor soil and irregular rainfall – are especially vulnerable to this kind of exploitation. Within only a very short period of time whole living areas turn into steppes or even deserts.
 

As a result the nutrition safety drastically decreases, thus increasing poverty amongst the people. Since there is no knowledge of and no money for the necessary investments in these natural resources (soil, water, forests, etc.) over-exploitation expands, resulting in a vicious circle: over-exploitation or desertification increases poverty and poverty again accelerates over-exploitation or desertification.

Environmental Refugees
If the countries affected most do not succeed in escaping this vicious circle of poverty/desertification, many people will have to leave their home countries as environmental refugees.

Due to the increasing desertification Europe will have to prepare itself for a steadily increasing number of emigrants.

At the moment many refugees from Africa are landing on the Canary Islands

Even industrialized countries outside of the dry areas cause desertification. The consumption habits of industrialized countries also contribute to desertification.:

• As a consumer of meat that is produced with imported mixed provender, which    in turn is produced in many other parts of the world at the expense of valuable forests and bushes;

• As a consumer of products from plants that are grown in mono-culture without conserving the soil (e.g. cotton, peanuts);

• As a consumer of industrial products, where harmful greenhouse gases are generated that have a negative influence on the climate and specifically on the ecologically sensitive dry areas.

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