Human activities and climatic variations cause desertification.
Desertification is land degradation, caused by human activities and climatic variations, in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. According to the UN, it is a diminution or destruction of the biological potential of the land which can lead ultimately to desert-like conditions. Human activities such as overgrazing, poor irrigation practices, overexploitation, expansion and intensive use of agricultural lands, and deforestation contributes to desertification. The pressure placed on the land through the aforementioned land uses alters the soil chemistry and hydrology and leads to erosion, soil salinization, loss of productivity and decreased resilience to climatic variations.
In Nigeria, desertification is the most pressing environmental problem in the dry lands part of the country. According to estimation, between 50 percent and 75 percent of Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara States in Nigeria are being affected by desertification. These affected areas have a combined population of over 27 million people and account for about 38 percent of the country’s total land area. Population and livestock pressure in these areas, result in overgrazing and overexploitation of marginal lands, thereby increasing desertification and drought.
WDCDD is an awareness of desertification and drought.
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (WDCDD) is an annual awareness program; it is celebrated on the 17th of June of every year. The theme for 2022 is “Rising Up from Drought Together.” According to The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, the impacts of desertification and drought affect women and girls mostly, because of their vulnerability. WDCDD is a reminder that the prevention of land degradation in arid and dry areas can only be achieved collectively, through strong community involvement and cooperation at all levels. The UN and other stakeholders had a commitment towards achieving land degradation neutrality to stem the effects of water scarcity, desertification, and drought.
Matthias stated that desertification and drought, if unaddressed, would hinder the development of Nigeria, together with its aspirations and achievement of the 2030 agenda. He revealed this at the commemoration of the 2022 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (WDCDD), which was jointly organized by the UN Information Centre in Nigeria, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supported by the Nigeria Network of Sustainable Development journalists (NNSDJ).
Deaths of 11.7 million people, caused by droughts.
The WMO representative in Nigeria and National Professional Officer, Mr. Bernard Gomez, represented by Roland Abah, mentioned that drought affects human life as much as it affects plants and is considered a very serious natural disaster. He added that no natural disaster, in the last 40 years, had affected people the way drought had. The duration and number of droughts has risen over 29 percent since 2000. Globally, an estimation of about 55 million people is directly affected by droughts every year. Between 1900 and 2019, droughts had affected 2.7 billion people in the world and caused the death of 11.7 million people.
According to research, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050. Desertification and drought have had negative impacts in Nigeria such as socio-economic impact, land and water resources, resource use conflicts, destruction of habitat and loss biodiversity. This environmental problem has caused depletion of the flora and fauna of the Sudano-Sahelian zone; some fauna species are endangered, while some indigenous plant species are now rare to come by. Apparent from the newly released national development plan and the climate change act, the Nigerian government prioritizes climate mitigation and adaption, and is working hard to fight the problem.
FG makes efforts to curb desertification and drought.
Desertification and drought is a growing threat to lives and livelihoods across Nigeria and the rest of Africa. The Federal Government of Nigeria, in a bid to protect the Nigerian environment, has made efforts in the past and is presently putting more efforts to curb desertification and drought. Some of the measures that have been put in place are national policies, institutional and legislative framework, sectoral program and partnership building. With the cooperation of everyone and the government, a more inclusive and sustainable world can be built, alongside a favorable nature that ensures a healthy and prosperous Nigeria for future generations.
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There’s an annual awareness program put in place. Very good; at least a step ahead of the menace. I feel most people are ignorant of the severity of damages desertification can cause.
It is nice step for put up a annual awareness program ahead of the menace, it will make people especially the ignorant one to know what they are supposed to do and not to not ahead of the menace. Necessary thing should be done in other to prevent the drought desertification to protect the live hood of people, with the help of government and the people thing will get better
We all should learn to take care of our land and environment to prevent desertification because it kills our land
Necessary agency should be put in place to take the required step in order to curb the drought and desertification menace we are suffering from and protect the livelihood of people, socio-economic impact, our land and water resources.
Human activities are the major factor contributing to desertification in Nigeria which is as a result of ignorance.
Most Farmers who goes in search of timber might not consider the danger of not planting another tree after cutting the it for timber. Basically, they are only thinking about the income they will get after sales.
The farmers/herders in the arid and semi arid region will thinking of how they can feed their cattle not considering the necessity of planting more crop.
Industrial activities and acquiring land for residential purpose also lead to desertification.
Human activities are born out of ignorance, hence the need to sensitize everyone about the danger of planting a tree a year per person to prevent desert encroachment.
A growing number of people’s lives and ways of making a living are in danger due to desertification and drought in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.
People must be sensitised and enlightened towards the dangers desertification poses to society. This would make them stop those practices
55 million people affected by drought each year is very high o, May God help us because we can’t keep living like this
To mitigate the effects of water shortages, desertification, and famine, the United Nations and other interested parties should come together to work toward achieving land degradation neutrality.
It is possible to create a world that is more equitable and sustainable with the help of everyone and the government working together.
This our current climate changes is not helping matters at all rather it compounds the problem. We should look for ways to prevent this
More awareness program needs to be done because it will really help people have basic knowledge on how it can be prevented
The government should collaborate with these agencies to work on ways to eradicate and prevent all the causes of desertification.
Desertification has adverse effect in Nigeria and the government needs to combine efforts to help People front he socio economic and other impact
Deforestation and drought is a major problem facing human existence not only in Nigeria but all Africa countries because because ignorance and human factors such as cutting forest trees and digging of sound where it’s not proper.
We all have to work together to ensure the betterment of the world and our immediate environment so we can enjoy living.
It is necessary to create awareness program for people about the menace. people will know what they are supposed to do ahead
Some region’s animal species are on the verge of extinction, while native plant species are becoming increasingly difficult to locate because of desertification. This needs to stop as soon as possible
Drought and desertification should not be given a second thought cause the menace its pose to our land, water resources and most importantly the livelihood of people is colossal. Hence the government needs to put I’m every effort to counter it as it also pose as a threat to our socio economic
I think desertification is more natural, aside from other causal factors.
Some places have been experiencing desertification right from the onset.
However, the human factor cannot be undermined especially over-grazing and deforestation.
Working on its regulations is the best idea.
The menace of desertification has to be stopped in Nigeria. We need to take good care of our environments very well. Also our drainage systems have to be well constructed and developed.
Of course the climate varies from region to region across Nigeria and can have effect on our ecosystem. We have Rainforest, Savannah regions in Nigeria. The Savannah region consist of the arid and semi-arid area which are directly prone to desert encroachment.Human’s activities directly play a major role in disrupting the ecosystem resulting in desertification.
These activities includes bush burning, tree cutting without replacement,cattle over grazing, construction of industrial and resident thereby destroy valuable trees etc
Government need to create awareness on the danger of wanton destruction of valuable plant that can prevent desertification.
We are facing this problem in Nigeria most times because of ignorance, awareness program should be done for people to be enlightened regards the demerits of desertification because it will help people on how it can be prevented. On the other hand, Government support and work with the agencies in finding lasting solutions to the problem.
It is necessary to create awareness program for people about this problem and what they are to do when they encounter something like this