Term
| What are some causes of desertification? |
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Definition
irrigation practices
overgrazing
ignorance
lack of crop rotation |
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Term
| What type of environmental change is desertification? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the three types of dry lands? |
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Definition
True Deserts
-draught conditions year round
Semi-arid Lands/Steppe
-no draught for a portion of the year, agriculture & human habitation are possible if irrigation is available
Tropical Wet/Dry Lands
-have a short wet season in summer, dry the rest of the year |
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Term
| What was the focus of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification? |
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Definition
| the relationship between human activities & variation in climate dry-land areas, and a bottom-up approach to taking action |
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Term
| How does the UN Convention to Combat Desertification define desertification? |
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Definition
| combination of natural and human processes that reduces some measurable property or properties of land in arid regions |
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Term
| What are some causes of desertification? |
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Definition
-draught
-soil erosion
-overgrazing
-deforestation
-poor irrigation practices leading to salinization
-political instability
-dense human populations |
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Term
| What are some of the considerations that must be made when addressing issues of desertification? |
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Definition
-fragility of dry lands
-historical development of communities
-cultural beliefs & practices
-economic status |
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Term
| What causes salinization? |
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Definition
-if evaporation occurs at a faster rate than water inputs, salts accumulate in the top soil layers rendering it infertile
-naturally dry lands
-overirrigation (prevents salts from flushing down soil column)
-sea water incursion
-inappropriate disposal of saline wastes |
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Term
| Does the UNCCD employ a bottom-up or top-down approach to solving desertification? |
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Definition
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Term
| Why does the UNCCD approach to resolving desertification not apply well to Swaziland? |
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Definition
-bottom up approach develops policies & courses of action based on citizens' experiences, in workshops, meetings, seminars etc.
Problem: usually chiefs & leaders were the representatives sent to attend these workshops, not the individuals who were most severely affected
-governments are not always neutral bodies not everyone will have a say in matters |
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Term
| What are some suggested means of changing agricultural practices in Sub-Saharn Africa to combat land degradation? |
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Definition
-increasing SOM using natural fertilizer (manure) & worms
-constructing embankments to reduce erosion
-use of cover crops
-no till farming
-mulching |
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Term
| What factors contribute the Sub-Saharan Africa's inability to progress in agriculture and food production? |
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Definition
-don't employ current solutions for improved land management
-financial constraints
-don't employ their entire population (women farmers)
-scientists, farmers policy makers & general public are not working together
-poor draught management |
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Term
| What 3 factors affect food security? |
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Definition
soil quality
water availability/drought stress
climate change |
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Term
| Why is there a rationale for international collaboration in combating dryland desertifiation? |
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Definition
-scientists need to present findings in a clear manner so policy makers & development managers can use the info effectively
-need to scrutinize current hypothesis & methods, be aware of intended consequences that might exacerbate the problem
- |
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Term
| What did Vastraete et. al propose as important steps of action in combating desertification? |
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Definition
1. come to a consensus based on current findings examining social & biophysical degradation, consequences etc. so international community can plan further
2. regular assessment of scientific information to explore & rank scenarios that are currently, or might in the future, take place
3. Global Drylands Observing System
-better monitoring w/ indicators at different scales, focus on social & environmental variables (incl. slow-acting) associated with ecosystem services
4. Interface organizations to translate information between researchers, governments, decision making groups, local communities etc.
5. Establish & support interdisciplinary research teams to analyze issues in drylands and come up with innovative solutions |
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Term
| re international conventions appropriate for cumulative GECs? Systematic? Not at all? |
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Definition
-ensure desertification remains in the spotlight
-difficult to translate information to form sustainable development at a local level
problem: the human context is full of politics, not always correctly acknowledged
Community consultation doesn’t mean their thoughts will be acknowledged
-policies seem to address the powerful people’s needs & priorities, not the people living off the land
-political will & national politicization of degradation problems are necessary, but need to find better methods of ensuring the local community issues are thoroughly & properly addressed |
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Term
| What were the challenges associated with restoration of the Loess Plateau? |
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Definition
-the task would span multiple generations
-explaining scientific concepts to the local people
-technical & financial planning
-cultural & societal norms of the local people, resistance to new farming methods |
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Term
| What were some of the restoration methods implemented in restoration of the Loess Plateau? |
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Definition
-warping dams to fill sections with rich silt
-terraced edges to enable vegetative growth
-annuals in flat fields, perrenials on terrace
-grasses & bushes to stabilize the dunes |
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Term
| How did the local people benefit from the restoration of the Loess Plateau? How did they contribute? |
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Definition
-employment
-restoration of the economy
-source of food, means of survival
-traded labour for right to a field & its outputs
-low cost long-term leases to ensure maintenance of the region |
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