Desertification in Africa
Desertification in the Sahelian Region of Africa
Question 1
There are two schools of thought with respect to the underlying causes of “desertification” in the Sahelian region of Africa, the Eurocentric view (which blames desertification solely on the action of pastoral nomandists) and the Systems view (which blames desertification on the complex interaction of several factors including climate change and colonialism). This essay will define and describe both of these views. We will them discuss to what extent the view of desertification propounded in the 1970s was formed by a “Eurocentric” view of ecosystems organization and behaviour. Finally, we will touch on what extent it was formed by a negative and paternalistic attitude to pastoral nomadism. Desertification is the degradation of lands in dry areas. The direct cause of desertification is poor land use. A long-term change in climate could make an area more desert-like without human intervention, but so far there is no evidence to support that this is happening. (Granger 1990). The Eurocentric view of desertification puts the blame on pastoral nomadism. This is an issue because the cultivation of arid and semi-arid lands in regions like the Sahelian region of Africa is helped by the fact that the soils are usually rich in nutrients since, unlike wetter areas, the limited rainfall has historically washed only a smaller proportion of nutrients from the top soil to the lower soil levels. There are also long hours of sunshine to provide the raw energy for the growth of plants. However, the rainfall is sparse, leading to inconsistent crop yields. (Granger 1990). Pastoralism is an excellent way of converting into food the vegetation which grows as a result of the irregular and variable rainfall on large areas of arid and semi-arid rangelands. On of the main types of pastoral systems that are practised is pastoral nomadism. Nomadic pastoralists make the best use of marginal arid lands where rains
Question 1
There are two schools of thought with respect to the underlying causes of “desertification” in the Sahelian region of Africa, the Eurocentric view (which blames desertification solely on the action of pastoral nomandists) and the Systems view (which blames desertification on the complex interaction of several factors including climate change and colonialism). This essay will define and describe both of these views. We will them discuss to what extent the view of desertification propounded in the 1970s was formed by a “Eurocentric” view of ecosystems organization and behaviour. Finally, we will touch on what extent it was formed by a negative and paternalistic attitude to pastoral nomadism. Desertification is the degradation of lands in dry areas. The direct cause of desertification is poor land use. A long-term change in climate could make an area more desert-like without human intervention, but so far there is no evidence to support that this is happening. (Granger 1990). The Eurocentric view of desertification puts the blame on pastoral nomadism. This is an issue because the cultivation of arid and semi-arid lands in regions like the Sahelian region of Africa is helped by the fact that the soils are usually rich in nutrients since, unlike wetter areas, the limited rainfall has historically washed only a smaller proportion of nutrients from the top soil to the lower soil levels. There are also long hours of sunshine to provide the raw energy for the growth of plants. However, the rainfall is sparse, leading to inconsistent crop yields. (Granger 1990). Pastoralism is an excellent way of converting into food the vegetation which grows as a result of the irregular and variable rainfall on large areas of arid and semi-arid rangelands. On of the main types of pastoral systems that are practised is pastoral nomadism. Nomadic pastoralists make the best use of marginal arid lands where rains
Bibliography: Borowiec, A. (2003). Taming the Sahara – Tunisia Shows a Way While Others Falter. London: Praeger. Canadian International Development Agency (1997). Desertification: Meeting the Challenge. Hull: CIDA. Ezcurra, E. eds. (2006). Global Deserts Outlook. Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme. Glanz, J. (1995). Saving our Soil – Solutions for Sustaining Earth’s Vital Resource. Boulder, CO: Johnson Books. Grainger, A. (1990). The Threatening Desert. London: Earthscan Publications Ltd. Thomas, D. S. G., & N. J. Middleton (1995). Desertification Exploding the Myth. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.