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Contributions from
the Column
Studies and reports
Not enough drugs
Measuring aid impacts
Caused by ill-conceived political decisions
Preventive strikes ‘yes’, unilateral action ‘no’
Half the world’s workers
living below poverty line
01/2005 |
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[ Desertification ]
Caused by ill-conceived political decisions
Desertification is not a natural process, but a problem caused predominantly by humans. The figures prove how serious the problem is: deserts cover one third of the world’s land surface. The United Nations estimates that this increases annually by 120 000 square kilometers – an area half the size of the British Isles. One fifth of the world’s population is affected by progressive desertification. It is hoped, however, that a large part of the desolated land is not irreversibly damaged and that the ecosystems affected can be restored again. Scientists talk about “ecosystem rehabilitation” or “treatment of degraded drylands”. This was one of the subjects which was discussed at the annual meeting of DesertNet in early December in Bonn. DesertNet is a research network made up of German scientific institutions which, in cooperation with international partners, wants to help combat desertification and its consequences.
The Aral Sea is a prime example of desertification and shows that simple answers do not go far enough. It has lost more than 80 percent of its water surface and there are several reasons for this. Ill-conceived political decisions are at the root of the problems. The Soviet Union’s politics to grow large areas of cotton in the desert, using extensive irrigation systems, had devastating consequences. So much water was taken out that the Aral Sea basin partly dried out. At the same time, wasteful use of water in agricultural areas which were once deserts has resulted in a large amount of soil degradation. “Desertification does not mean so much the expansion of desert areas, but above all the degradation of the soil quality and the ecosystem,” explains Christopher Martius, who coordinates of a research project on land and water use in Uzbekistan at the Centre for Development Research in Bonn (ZEF). “The problems in the Aral Sea show that simple technical measures are no longer enough. At the end of the day, the solution lies in a different agricultural policy.”
But are politicians listening to science? This question was also discussed at the DesertNet meeting. The researchers see themselves in various roles: in the ideal situation they are advisors, early warners and those who initiate help in a crisis. However, research can only be effective if it is integrative, i.e. if it brings together know-how from various scientific disciplines. Furthermore, the scientists should work together closely with the local partners in the regions affected by desertification. As the example of the Aral Sea shows, solutions are only viable if the political decision makers are also involved.
Alma van der Veen
Website:
http://www.desertnet.de
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