Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9400766521
Total Pages : 491 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East by : G. Ali Heshmati

Download or read book Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East written by G. Ali Heshmati and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-07-01 with total page 491 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is about the ‘how’ of desertification control as opposed to an analysis of the ‘why’ and fills a gap in the desertification-related literature in that it shows what to do in situations ranging from fixing mobile sands to arresting accelerated soil erosion in sloping lands. There are numerous illustrations to show the successful techniques. This compilation demonstrates that desertification and land degradation can be controlled and reversed with existing techniques in such widely varying environments as the Sahel of Africa to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in SE Asia, from mountains in Lesotho to low lands on desert margins in Mongolia. Proven approaches include technical interventions, changes in governance and to the legislative framework and policy reform. The book fills a gap in the desertification-related literature in that it shows what to do in situations ranging from fixing mobile sands to arresting accelerated soil erosion in sloping lands.

Grassroots Indicators for Desertification

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Author :
Publisher : IDRC
ISBN 13 : 0889367949
Total Pages : 179 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (893 download)

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Book Synopsis Grassroots Indicators for Desertification by :

Download or read book Grassroots Indicators for Desertification written by and published by IDRC. This book was released on 1996 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Desertification

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Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3642861849
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (428 download)

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Book Synopsis Desertification by : Monique Mainguet

Download or read book Desertification written by Monique Mainguet and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After UNCED (United Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, July 1992), a second edition of Desertification was necessary. About 150 corrections, amendments and additions take scientific progress into account. The author also presents an updated chapter in which the results of UNCED are analyzed. This book aims at an understanding of what is commonly called "desertification" - a term which is proposed to be replaced by "land degradation". Each level of technology, excessive or insufficient, creates its own mismanagement. This is reflected in an increase in land degradation and eventually a decrease in soil productivity. The benefit to the reader is an awareness of the ecozones and a global overview of the phenomena, mechanisms and existing solutions.

Water Harvesting in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136273050
Total Pages : 219 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (362 download)

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Book Synopsis Water Harvesting in Sub-Saharan Africa by : William Critchley

Download or read book Water Harvesting in Sub-Saharan Africa written by William Critchley and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-01-04 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa is constrained by highly variable rainfall, frequent drought and low water productivity. There is an urgent need, heightened by climate change, for appropriate technologies to address this problem through managing and increasing the quantity of water on farmers’ fields – water harvesting. This book defines water harvesting as a set of approaches which occupy an intermediate position along the water-management spectrum extending from in situ moisture conservation to irrigated agriculture. They generally comprise small-scale systems that induce, collect, store and make use of local surface runoff for agriculture. The authors review development experience and set out the state of the art of water harvesting for crop production and other benefits in Sub-Saharan Africa. This includes an assessment of water harvesting schemes that were initiated two or three decades ago when interest was stimulated by the droughts of the 1970s and 1980s. These provide lessons to promote sustainable development of dryland agriculture in the face of changing environmental conditions. Case studies from eight countries across Sub-Saharan Africa provide the evidence base. Each follows a similar format and is based on assessments conducted in collaboration with in-country partners, with a focus on attempts to promote adoption of water harvesting, both horizontally (spread) and vertically (institutionalization). Introductory cross-cutting chapters as well as an analytical conclusion are also included.

Restoration and Development of the Degraded Loess Plateau, China

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 443154481X
Total Pages : 295 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (315 download)

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Book Synopsis Restoration and Development of the Degraded Loess Plateau, China by : Atsushi Tsunekawa

Download or read book Restoration and Development of the Degraded Loess Plateau, China written by Atsushi Tsunekawa and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-08-23 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents state-of-the-art scientific evidence and technological innovations to restore lands on the Loess Plateau of China, known worldwide for its serious land degradation and desertification problems. Supported by a rapidly developing Chinese economy and the dissemination of effective technology, the Grain-for-Green Project and Western Development Action launched by the Chinese government have resulted in successful ecological restoration and protection over the past 30 years. These programs have contributed not only to conservation of soil and water, but also to economic development. At the same time, however, these developmental interventions have brought new challenges that have not yet been fully addressed. The book describes (1) case studies of success and failure in practice, including rare success stories of combating desertification; (2) technical issues such as erosion control and breeding of stress-tolerant plant species, and socioeconomic measures taken by the Chinese government and lending policies with support from the World Bank; and (3) comprehensive measures against desertification, such as water and wind erosion, salinization, and deforestation. This volume is recommended for researchers and students above the undergraduate level in diverse fields including soil science, rural engineering, social technology and civil engineering, biology, ecology, climatology, physical and human geography, and developmental economics, among others. It also serves as a valuable resource for engineers, government officials, and NPOs and NGOs involved in afforestation, ecological restoration, combating desertification, disaster prevention, and sustainable rural development.

Desertification: Causes, Impacts and Consequences

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9783642160134
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (61 download)

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Book Synopsis Desertification: Causes, Impacts and Consequences by : Roy H. Behnke

Download or read book Desertification: Causes, Impacts and Consequences written by Roy H. Behnke and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-12-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It now seems incontrovertible (as Alessandra Giannini has demonstrated) that the series of Sahelian droughts that began in the early 1970s were driven by changes in sea surface temperatures and that they were not caused by local land use mismanagement in the Sahel itself. Combined with the apparent re-greening of the Sahel, these findings effectively close a long-standing policy and scientific debate (in which the lead authors of this book participated) on the causes and extent of desertification in the Sahel. The opportunity now presents itself to treat this debate as a historical object lesson in the relationship between science, the formation of public opinion, and international policy-making in the context of climate change. In short, what might the ‘great Sahelian desertification boondoggle’ have to tell us about current attempts to come to grips with climate change?

Governing Global Desertification

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351932470
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (519 download)

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Book Synopsis Governing Global Desertification by : Pierre Marc Johnson

Download or read book Governing Global Desertification written by Pierre Marc Johnson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-12-05 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Desertification affects 70 per cent of the world's arable lands in more than 100 countries. Inextricably linked to poverty, it is estimated that the livelihood of 250 million people are directly affected while another billion living in rural drylands are threatened by this phenomenon. This volume examines the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) signed in 1994. It studies the links between land degradation and poverty, the role of civil society and good governance in implementing the UNCCD and the various approaches to fighting desertification. Furthermore, it assesses the National Action Programmes, development planning and new avenues for strengthening implementation. Synthesizing the main strengths and weaknesses of the UNCCD as a tool for environmental and developmental governance, this informative volume highlights the main challenges facing the UNCCD in the future.

Life on Land

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Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9783319959801
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (598 download)

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Book Synopsis Life on Land by : Walter Leal Filho

Download or read book Life on Land written by Walter Leal Filho and published by Springer. This book was released on 2020-10-25 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The problems related to the process of industrialisation such as biodiversity depletion, climate change and a worsening of health and living conditions, especially but not only in developing countries, intensify. Therefore, there is an increasing need to search for integrated solutions to make development more sustainable. The United Nations has acknowledged the problem and approved the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda officially came into force. These goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. The Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals comprehensively addresses the SDGs in an integrated way. It encompasses 17 volumes, each one devoted to one of the 17 SDGs. This volume addresses SDG 15, namely "Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss" and contains the description of a range of terms, which allow a better understanding and foster knowledge. Concretely, the defined targets are: Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world Ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products Introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly Reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species Integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities Editorial Board Alexandra Aragão, Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, Ayansina Ayanlade, Anabela Marisa Azul, Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Muhammad Farooq, Ana Catarina Luz, María P. Martín, Sharif A. Mukul, Nandhivarman Muthu, Robert Russell Monteith Paterson, Isabel Ruiz-Mallén

Combating Desertification and Land Degradation

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9788988960110
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (61 download)

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Book Synopsis Combating Desertification and Land Degradation by :

Download or read book Combating Desertification and Land Degradation written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Aridity

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3662039060
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (62 download)

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Book Synopsis Aridity by : Monique Mainguet

Download or read book Aridity written by Monique Mainguet and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-14 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the intersection of environmental science and human biology, this book deals with dry ecosystems, the societies so affected, and the inventiveness of those living under such conditions. It also tries to answer the question of whether long-lasting development is possible in dry environments.

Desertification, Land Degradation and Sustainability

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Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 9780470714485
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (144 download)

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Book Synopsis Desertification, Land Degradation and Sustainability by : Anton Imeson

Download or read book Desertification, Land Degradation and Sustainability written by Anton Imeson and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-12-30 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Desertification offers a comprehensive overview of the subject and clearly emphasizes the link between local and global desertification processes and how past and current policy has affected arid environments and their populations. This text adequately applies the research undertaken during the last 15 years on the topic. Desertification has become increasingly politicized and there is a need to present and explain the facts from a global perspective. This book tackles the issues surrounding desertification in a number of ways from differing scales (local to global), processes (physical to human), the relationship of desertification to current global development and management responses at different scales. Desertification has been mainstreamed and integrated into other areas of concern and has consequently been ignored as a cross cutting issue. The book redresses this balance. Making use of much original data and information that has been undertaken by many scientists andpractitioners during the last decade in different parts of the world, Desertification, Land Degradation and Sustainability is organised according to the principles of adaptive management and hierarchy theory and clearly explains desertification within a framework of evolving and interacting physical and socio-economic systems. In addition to research data the book also draws from the National Action Plans of different countries, the IPCC Fourth Assessment on Climate Change and the Millennium assessments. Clearly structured throughout, the content of the book is organised at different scales; local, regional and global. It also specifically explains processes linking top-down and bottom- up interactions and has a strong human component. The historical, cultural and physical context is also stressed. Clearly organised into the following distinct sections: a) Concepts and processes b) Data c) Impacts d) Responses e) Case studies. This text is essential for anyone studying desertification as part of an earth and environmental science degree.

Land Degradation, Desertification and Climate Change

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135094306
Total Pages : 230 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (35 download)

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Book Synopsis Land Degradation, Desertification and Climate Change by : Mark S. Reed

Download or read book Land Degradation, Desertification and Climate Change written by Mark S. Reed and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-28 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although much is known about the processes and effects of land degradation and climate change, little is understood about the links between them. Less still is known about how these processes are likely to interact in different social-ecological systems around the world, or how societies might be able to adapt to this twin challenge. This book identifies key vulnerabilities to the combined effects of climate change and land degradation around the world. It identifies triple-win adaptations that can tackle both climate change and land degradation, whilst supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services. The book discusses methods for monitoring effects of climate change and land degradation, and adaptations to these processes. It argues for better co-operation and knowledge exchange, so that the research, land user and policy communities can work together more effectively to tackle these challenges, harnessing the "wisdom of crowds" to assess vulnerability and adapt to climate change and land degradation, whilst protecting livelihoods and biodiversity.

Land Degradation and Desertification: Assessment, Mitigation and Remediation

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Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9048186579
Total Pages : 656 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (481 download)

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Book Synopsis Land Degradation and Desertification: Assessment, Mitigation and Remediation by : Pandi Zdruli

Download or read book Land Degradation and Desertification: Assessment, Mitigation and Remediation written by Pandi Zdruli and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-07-20 with total page 656 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Land Degradation and Desertification: Assessment, Mitigation, and Remediation reports research results in sustainable land management and land degradation status and mitigation in 36 countries around the world. It includes background papers with continental and international perspectives dealing with land degradation and desertification studies. The book assembles various topics of interest for a large audience. They include carbon sequestration and stocks, modern techniques to trace the trends of land degradation, traditional and modern approaches of resource-base conservation, soil fertility management, reforestation, rangeland rehabilitation, land use planning, GIS techniques in desertification risk cartography, participatory ecosystem management, policy analyses and possible plans for action. Various climatic domains in Africa, Asia, Europe and The Americas are covered. The book will be of interest to a variety of environmental scientists, agronomists, national and international policy makers and a number of organizations dealing with sustainable management of natural resources.

Restoration in Action Against Desertification

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Author :
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN 13 : 9251319472
Total Pages : 92 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (513 download)

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Book Synopsis Restoration in Action Against Desertification by : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Download or read book Restoration in Action Against Desertification written by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 2020-01-08 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication supports processes related to rural communities’ resilience in implementing land restoration of the Great Green Wall Programme on the ground. It serves a dual purpose of consolidating biophysical operations and socio-economic assessments, and is mainly built on five-year interventions and practical experiences gathered through Action Against Desertification. The first part of the publication is a practical manual expressly created for stakeholders, partners, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations. Its purpose is to guide the implementation of restoration operations at scale on the ground, as well as to provide detailed practical instructions based on the successful results obtained by Action Against Desertification. The manual describes how to implement an innovative approach to the large-scale restoration of degraded land for small-scale farming. This innovative approach consists of combining enrichment planting of native woody and fodder grass species and the preparation of large-scale land for rainwater harvesting and soil permeability. The second part of the manual introduces a methodology for socio-economic assessments. This easy to-to-use approach is based on household surveys and can be used by socio-economic experts to monitor, evaluate and assess the socio-economic impacts of the large-scale restoration interventions. Household surveys are not only used for impact assessment but can potentially serve to collect useful data needed to plan a restoration intervention. Quantitative information is collected through carefully chosen standardized questions to households as samples.

Functional Diversity of Mycorrhiza and Sustainable Agriculture

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Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0128042869
Total Pages : 255 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (28 download)

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Book Synopsis Functional Diversity of Mycorrhiza and Sustainable Agriculture by : Michael J. Goss

Download or read book Functional Diversity of Mycorrhiza and Sustainable Agriculture written by Michael J. Goss and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-05-19 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Functional Diversity of Mycorrhiza and Sustainable Agriculture is the first book to present the core concepts of working with Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to improve agricultural crop productivity. Highlighting the use of indigenous AM fungi for agriculture, the book includes details on how to maintain and promote AM fungal diversity to improve sustainability and cost-effectiveness. As the need to improve production while restricting scarce inputs and preventing environmental impacts increases, the use of AMF offers an important option for exploiting the soil microbial population. It can enhance nutrient cycling and minimize the impacts of biotic and abiotic stresses, such as soil-borne disease, drought, and metal toxicity. The book offers land managers, policymakers, soil scientists, and agronomists a novel approach to utilizing soil microbiology in improving agricultural practices. - Provides a new approach to exploiting the benefits of mycorrhizas for sustainable arable agricultural production using indigenous AMF populations and adopting appropriate crop production techniques - Bridges the gap between soil microbiology, including increasing knowledge of mycorrhiza and agronomy - Presents real-world practical insights and application-based results, including a chapter focused primarily on case studies - Includes extensive illustrative diagrams and photographs

The Arid Lands

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Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262034522
Total Pages : 302 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (62 download)

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Book Synopsis The Arid Lands by : Diana K. Davis

Download or read book The Arid Lands written by Diana K. Davis and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2016-03-25 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An argument that the perception of arid lands as wastelands is politically motivated and that these landscapes are variable, biodiverse ecosystems, whose inhabitants must be empowered. Deserts are commonly imagined as barren, defiled, worthless places, wastelands in need of development. This understanding has fueled extensive anti-desertification efforts—a multimillion-dollar global campaign driven by perceptions of a looming crisis. In this book, Diana Davis argues that estimates of desertification have been significantly exaggerated and that deserts and drylands—which constitute about 41% of the earth's landmass—are actually resilient and biodiverse environments in which a great many indigenous people have long lived sustainably. Meanwhile, contemporary arid lands development programs and anti-desertification efforts have met with little success. As Davis explains, these environments are not governed by the equilibrium ecological dynamics that apply in most other regions. Davis shows that our notion of the arid lands as wastelands derives largely from politically motivated Anglo-European colonial assumptions that these regions had been laid waste by “traditional” uses of the land. Unfortunately, such assumptions still frequently inform policy. Drawing on political ecology and environmental history, Davis traces changes in our understanding of deserts, from the benign views of the classical era to Christian associations of the desert with sinful activities to later (neo)colonial assumptions of destruction. She further explains how our thinking about deserts is problematically related to our conceptions of forests and desiccation. Davis concludes that a new understanding of the arid lands as healthy, natural, but variable ecosystems that do not necessarily need improvement or development will facilitate a more sustainable future for the world's magnificent drylands.

Desertification

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781536142129
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (421 download)

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Book Synopsis Desertification by : Victor R. Squires

Download or read book Desertification written by Victor R. Squires and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book (with a foreword by eminent desertification specialist, Dr. Alan Grainger of Leeds University) provides a synthesis of what desertification means in the present day context of worldwide concerns about land degradation in the face of global (including climate) change, burgeoning populations, urbanization, and loss of biodiversity. It defines and describes desertification in its many forms and examines efforts to combat land degradation. The authors present some models that relate to the current impact of climate change on desertification as well as the medium to long term, and offer case studies on efforts to combat desertification in the major regions of the world. In the last chapter, we attempt to synthesize the whole book in the context of the post-2015 agreements on climate change (the Paris Accord) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Chapters concerning the historical context of desertification consider the definition and meanings associated with the word desertification; discuss the global extent and severity of the many types of desertification; and explain the current status of desertification in the post-2015 context. The book also discusses the impacts of desertification on ecosystems and people along with biodiversity; dust and sand storms from desertified landscapes; and the people affected by desertification. Chapters also focus on desertification and climate change, and consider the nexus between climate, soil, water and people; climate variability, land use and livelihoods affected by desertification are also analyzed. Chapters on combating desertification focus on combating desertification and act as an overview of proven practices with a detailed case study from China. Finally, synthesis and conclusions are consider the future of those affected by desertification, dealing firstly with medium to long term future outlooks and secondly with attempting to sum up the trends.