Unsustainable, lopsided development is the primary factor for denudation of landscape, and degradation of land. Moisture stress is the inevitable corollary of land degradation and desertification. The damage to the hydrology of the landmass has far reaching and long lasting consequences. Re-greening is plausibly the singular solution ... it is inimitably impossible after a particular stage of desertification. Political class will do well to educate themselves on the challenges they unleash for short term political ends that unsustainable imbalanced vertical growth brings.
Just one of the consequences of unsustainable development and land degradation leads to loss of livestock... affecting the livelihood security of the marginalised farmers. It leads to artificial price rise, and artificial super abundance in an imbalanced economy.
Barren desertified landscapes lead to drastic changes in the micro climate of a given desertified area. This leads to skewed food supply affecting public health public finance and not the least short term inflation.
Migation is the next inevitable corollary of desertification. it can lead to political upheaval\s like we saw in Europe in 2015 - 16... the unseen cause was desertification economic instability in North Africa. War in the Middle East only exacerbated migration, Brexit, followed. War and crime are the two unforeseen facets of Climate Change and Desertification.
A critical deficit in rainfall is the start of desertification and manifests as moisture stress(above).
Moisture stress triggers land degradation and soil infertility. This causes depletion of ground water table, shortfall in agricultural output, food crisis, short term inflation, artificial scarcities and artificial super abundance. With supply and demand getting skewed public finance will be leveraged against Climate Change induced emergencies. Neutralising land degradation then is the sustainable inclusive means of holistic development.
The challenge in moisturising the ground (above) lays best in the re-greening initiatives. Hence protection of remaining biodiversity reserves is of utmost importance.
Parched deserts like the one above deprives other lesser creatures of {Planet Earth like wildlife and livestock too water and food security.
Iviolate conservation of landscape is necessary even in desert lands like in the Sam Desert on the India Pakistan Border. Human footprint is not welcome especially in hostile terrain. Best left to the native creatures. Human footprint only hardens the moisture stressed lands...
Desertification robs the landscape of prosperity that can obtain from holistic inclusive sustainable development.
A picture of how desertification changes the very hydrology of a landscape.
Another arid landscape that paves the way for desertification. There is more fossil fuel than water here! But beware, exploring fossil fuel only adds to desertification!
Whither the nearest Oasis ? Pity the human souls who have to transgress these parts!
Calamitous graveyard of withering biodiversity.
Human Beings will be solely responsible for destroying the most blessed planet.
Degraded, fossilised degenerate soil consequent to desertification and chronic drought.
Clayee soil degenerated after desertification... a classic example of desertification leading to soil infertility.
Barren brittle earth without water table to support soil fertility
Desertifcation kills green cover.
Withering green cover is a dramatic consequence of desertification and drought
Cattle hoof marks stand mute witness to desertifying soil of planet Earth...
Sand dune formation is the early warning for desertification. Degraded soil fertility needs holistic inclusive horizontal and sustainable development for restoration of soil fertility, and nutrition.
The impact of drought on native bio and zoo diversity stresses all living organisms. Anthropogenic triggers of drought like moisture stress, ground water depletion by unsustainable water consumption and non replenishment of ground water table has a devastating impact on co inhabitants of Planet Earth.
Adaptation by bio and zoo diversity is not always successful. Yet Homo sapiens the most intelligent creature on the planet have not shouldered the responsibility of sustainable development.... without which the Planet's land and water resources are being annihilated.
Soil fertility is the greatest benchmark of land's nutrition. Land degradation starts with erosion of top soil and degenerates to sand and death of crops, green cover, Forests degenerate to scrub land...all of this has an immense impact on zoo diversity / wildlife.
Brittle dried caked soil / earth is the cesspit of flash floods when rain falls.
Withering forests make way for scrub forests in drought hit areas.
Uluru (formerly referred to as Ayers Rock) in the Northern Territory of Australia. is a stark geological monument in the desert. Yet it has its own ecosystem: ... caves, waterfalls, scrub forests, faults, wildlife, minerals, all of which support manifold life forms. Uluru marks the boundary line for weather systems like sand and dust storms, cyclones, cloudbursts etc.
A fault line runs through a rock formation. Mystrious are the ways of Nature indeed!
Pictures: Pixabay.com; Photo caption: Malini Shankar
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