The Threatening Desert Controlling desertification [Paperback]

Lands lost to desert may effectively be lost for ever, so desertification is humanity's most obvious despoliation to the planet. It is certainly one of the most serious environmental problems facing the world today. In this book the author describes what is happening and where. Although the problem is greatest in developing countries, it is by no means confined to them. Australia, Africa, the USA and India are all affected. In the 1970s an international Plan of Action was drawn up to bring the phenomenon under control, but it was never implemented. Now that the situation is more serious than ever before, this book urges new action and describes many of the myriad ways in which it is possible to arrest the progress of desertification. It describes, too, not just the failures, but the considerable successes that have been achieved.Originally published in 1990Figures and TablesAcronymsPrefaceIntroduction1. What Is Desertification?Desertification DefinedThe Distribution of DrylandsThe Arid ZonesNatural Deserts and DesertificationThe Two Main Characteristics of DesertificationThe Direct and Indirect Causes of DesertificationDesertification and CivilizationDrought and DesertificationQuestions Remain about DesertificationA Complex Phenomenon2. The Causes of DesertificationOvercultivationOvergrazingPoor Irrigation ManagementDeforestationCauses and Solutions3. Desertification, People and PolicyPopulation GrowthEconomic DevelopmentDesertification and UnderdevelopmentThe Role of GovernmentFamine, Poverty and DesertificationDesertification in Developed NationsA Broader Perspective4. The Scale of DesertificationThe Regional Distribution of DesertificationEstimates of the Extent and Rate of DesertificationDeveloping a New System of DesertificationIndicatorsUsing Remote Sensing to Improve the Monitoring of DesertificationThe Data Imperative5. Controlling Desertification by Improving Crop ProductionImproving Rainfed CroppingImproving Irrigated CroppingThe Role of Cropping in Desertlƒ.