In this article a cycle of issues will be identified and it will be suggested that it is of relevance to most, maybe even all contexts of desertification.
Arguably there are important linkages between the processes of desertification and other environmental concerns. Many may not appear obvious and further examination is clearly necessary to elucidate inter-relationships. There are many questions to ask like:
- does desertification go hand-in-hand with the loss of bio-diversity?
- can a cause-and- effect chain be established between climate change and desertification?
- what are the implications of increased human activity (especially residential) in semi- and even arid zones for the world's fresh water deposits and reserves?
- To what degree is desertification induced and accelerated by human actions?
- Are there suitable and effective methods and remedies available to inhibit, slow or reverse desertification trends?
The set of core issues seen as very important for understanding the complexities of desertification, relates closely to policy formulation and implementation on deserts. Certainly one can agree that "today it appears that desertification is not the result of a relentless, inexorable advance of the desert. Rather, the course it takes is determined by specific local conditions in arid and semi-arid areas-areas that vary greatly in terms of their microclimatic and socioeconomic conditions.(3)
Thus the central issues to examine will all be seen in their relationship to existing policies (and importantly, the degree to which they are implemented) on desertification, environmental management and sustainable development. The issues will need to be discussed individually, to allow both experts and other concerned actors to orient themselves quickly.
The discussion of the selected issues will be attempted at a later stage in a more detailed manner than is possible here. They will be presented as a menu of issues, but by no means intended as a comprehensive set of action areas.
Central issues pertaining to desertification consist of:
o Indigenous Peoples / Sustainable livelihoods
o Animals Agriculture Cultivation
o Water
o Energy
o Advanced land use and urban development
o Intensive NRM use, economic activities
o Conservation and non-use of desert areas
o compatibility of uses
o Maintaining user access without resource damage.
It has been suggested to "address socio-economic factors causing land degradation and to focus on issues of governance, institutions and appropriate policy frameworks and roles for national and local governments and civil society in dryland management." (4)
And in a study by the World Bank it has been confirmed that desertification is most advanced in areas with high population growth rates and in areas where pressure on cultivable land and available firewood resources is the greatest. When further examining how the relevance and impact of the core issues above on desertification, it will be attempted to systematically relate them to existing policies, across the board from environmental, social, cultural to economic ones. At this point, the importance of and the complexities involved with desertification may hopefully have become a bit clearer and dearer to the Suite101 visitors. Upon completion of the full article in 2003 (and the launch of a related e-book), a summary text will appear on Suite101.
 |
 |
 |
