ULAN BATOR, May 2 (Xinhua) — Mongolia has planted a total of 42 million trees across the country since the launch of its national tree-planting campaign in 2021, the country’s presidential press office said Thursday.
In addition, at least 63 million seedlings have so far been stocked, it said, urging the public to actively take part in the upcoming National Tree Planting Day.
The land-locked Asian country is expected to observe the country’s largest tree-planting and nature care event on May 11.
In October 2021, Mongolia launched the nationwide tree-planting campaign “Billion Trees” as the country’s President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh told the United Nations General Assembly that the campaign aims to plant at least a billion trees by 2030 to combat desertification.
Desertification related to climate change has been the main factor behind the increasing frequency of yellow dust storms in Mongolia in recent years, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism said.
Desertification and land degradation have already affected 77 percent of Mongolia’s total territory, and 11.89 percent of that is now covered by forests, according to the ministry.
Over the past several decades, deforestation, agricultural expansion, and drought have all contributed to desertification in parts of the African continent. Once-fertile soil has become drier and less productive.
More than a dozen African countries have been fighting this desertification with an ambitious project to grow trees and other vegetation on 247 million acres of degraded land, an area roughly 2.3 times the size of California.
The goals of the 17-year-old Great Green Wall project — estimated to cost between $36 to 49 billion — also include generating 10 million jobs and sequestering 250 million tons of carbon by 2030.
Countries from Senegal to Djibouti are trying to regreen the semiarid Sahel bioclimate, a band stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea.
The dangers of land degradation include soil erosion and lessened biodiversity.
Side-by-side images of the Ferlo region of Senegal in 1994 and 2011 show land degradation over nearly 20 years. G. Gray Tappan/US Geological Survey
West African forests once covered over 50,000 square miles. Since 1975, deforestation, mainly from agricultural expansion, reduced the size to about 32,000 square miles, according to the US Geological Survey.
In addition to making soil less fertile, desertification can make it more prone to wind erosion and less able to retain moisture. It also leads to a loss in biodiversity of plant and animal species. All of these factors make it more difficult for human populations to survive.
The Great Green Wall initiative launched in 2007 as a plan to plant trees across a large swath of the African continent.
The Sahel is a bioclimate stretching across the African continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. Rainer Lesniewski/iStock/Getty Images
The African Union formally began the project in 2007. Originally, the GGW included 11 countries — Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan. In the years since it started, a handful of others have joined as well.
At first, the plan was to fill a 10-mile-by-4,350-mile area of the Sahel with trees. Trees can help slow soil erosion, absorb carbon dioxide, and promote biodiversity by providing food and shelter for animals.
However, critics started pointing out flaws, and the project hit several speedbumps.
The GGW project hit some early snags.
Some trees planted as part of the GGW didn’t survive because they were located in uninhabited areas. Seydou Diallo/AFP via Getty Images
One big problem with the tree-planting plan was the trees themselves. Some saplings either grew poorly or died. They were planted in remote regions, which made them difficult to care for. Warmer temperatures and low rainfall also contributed to the problem.
Some communities thought their government hadn’t fully involved local and indigenous populations in their projects. Other governments had purposefully removed groups of people from their homes in forests and conservation areas, Corporate Knights reported.
The success of the GGW has also been difficult to monitor in some areas, according to Corporate Knights. External experts have had trouble independently verifying some governmental data, for example.
In 2021, world leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron, pledged $19 billion as part of the Great Green Wall Accelerator to help measure and facilitate the project’s success.
By then, GGW’s focus had started to shift to a mix of projects that drew on traditional growing and irrigation methods.
Niger and Burkina Faso found success with different approaches outside the GGW project.
After droughts in the last century, farmers in parts of Niger started returning to traditional practices to keep soil fertile. Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
Before the GGW project began, locals in parts of Niger and Burkina Faso started using a technique called farmer-managed natural regeneration, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
French colonial authorities had once encouraged farmers to remove trees on agricultural land, according to Yale Environment 360. Droughts in the 1980s prompted the shift back to earlier methods.
Instead of planting new trees, farmers in south-central Niger encouraged the growth of existing shrubs and trees. The practice has helped regreen 12 million acres and grown 2 million trees.
In Burkina Faso, farmers drew on traditional knowledge to adapt after droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. They dug deep pits called zai and assembled stone barriers to help capture and retain moisture.
One farmer, Yacouba Sawadogo, was so successful that a film was made about his work in 2010, called “The Man Who Stopped the Desert.”
The GGW isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.
A Tolou Keur circular garden in Boki Diawe, in Matam region, Senegal, part of the Great Green Wall. Zohra Bensemra/Reuters
Since the start of the GGW, many countries have seen success with farmer-led projects. In Senegal, farmers started planting zai gardens during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Known as Tolou Keur in Wolof, the country’s language, the half-moon pits hold and direct water toward plants.
While not all the Tolou Keur have survived, others are thriving. Farmers are growing everything from sorghum and millet to mint and hibiscus plants.
Part of their attraction lies in the fact that they’re quick to build, don’t take up a lot of space, and only need about 10 people to maintain them, according to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
The GGW is now a mosaic instead of a wall of trees.
The Sahel village of Ndiawagne Fall in Kebemer, Senegal is part of the Great Green Wall project, which originally focused on planting trees across the Sahel. Leo Correa/AP Photo
At this point, the Great Green Wall is a bit of a misnomer.
“We moved the vision of the Great Green Wall from one that was impractical to one that was practical,” Mohamed Bakarr, the lead environmental specialist for Global Environment Facility, told Smithsonian Magazine in 2016. “It is not necessarily a physical wall, but rather a mosaic of land use practices that ultimately will meet the expectations of a wall.”
The project incorporates technology like drones and satellite imagery.
Satellite imagess, like this one from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, can help track the progress of the GGW. European Space Agency
Drones and satellites recently started providing detailed information on restored land, using AI to identify the species of individual trees.
Tech startups and organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are collaborating to help Sahel communities map and track the populations of baobab trees, which can help reduce soil erosion.
Many countries have seen success regreening areas of the Sehal.
An expanse of trees outside the Walalde department in Senegal. Zohra Bensemra/Reuters
Ethiopia, Niger, and Senegal have all regreened parts of their land. In addition to its zai gardens, Senegal planted 50,000 acres of trees, according to National Geographic.
In 2023, the UN Development Programme reported that the GGW project was 18% completed, restoring over 49 million acres of land and creating 350,000 jobs.
But not all countries have seen the same amount of success.
With 2030 approaching, the GGW is facing setbacks.
Some countries like Sudan haven’t been able to make as much progress on GGW goals due to unrest and less funding. Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters
Conflict and instability in some countries make meeting the GGW’s goals difficult as residents move to avoid fighting. More resources also seem to go to stabler countries, while Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Sudan receive less investment from donors, according to Nature.
Yet with the climate crisis and expanding population, the GGW’s mission remains as pressing as ever.
Desertification, and specifically the loss of fertile arable land, is a phenomenon that poses a major threat to global food production, particularly in the developing world. About 12 million hectares of arable land is lost to erosion each year, and it is estimated that land degradation in the next 25 years has the potential to reduce global food production by up to 12% (UNCCD).
Understanding the severity of the issue, Expo 2020’s innovation and partnership programme Expo Live selected Desert Control as one of its Global Innovators for inventing liquid nanoclay (LNC).
This innovative solution is a mixture of water and nanoparticles of clay that can turn dry and sandy land into water-retaining arable soil. The mixture – made on site from natural materials – is applied to land in the same way as regular irrigation, making it an easy and accessible solution for farmers around the world.
Desert Control has tested LNC in China, Egypt, Pakistan and the UAE, with results showing 30-50% increase in water and fertiliser retention, reducing the need for irrigation and increasing yields. After validating the technology, the company is now scaling up, and has had a successful IPO launch on Euronext Growth Oslo Stock Exchange.
With the support of Expo Live, Desert Control’s mission of “making the Earth green again” seems to have a promising future with a global impact.
The alarming statistics reveal that 71 percent of arable land in Iraq has already succumbed to desertification, while an additional 100,000 dunams of land become infertile annually due to this phenomenon – (kurdistan24.net)
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraq faces a critical environmental crisis as desertification and land degradation continue to threaten agricultural viability, with only 14 million dunams of land remaining suitable for farming, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Environment.
The alarming statistics reveal that 71 percent of arable land in Iraq has already succumbed to desertification, while an additional 100,000 dunams of land become infertile annually due to this phenomenon.
Desertification not only jeopardizes Iraq’s agricultural productivity but also poses a significant threat to the environment and climate. The resultant dust storms not only degrade air quality but also endanger the health of Iraqis.
Iraq ranks among the top five countries most affected by climate change, with projections indicating a substantial increase in average temperatures by 2050. Additionally, UNESCO identifies Iraq as the 12th most impacted country by groundwater depletion, forecasting a loss of 20 percent of its groundwater by 2050.
The dire situation is further compounded by erosion, which threatens 61 percent of agricultural land, leading to a 70 percent reduction in Iraq’s agricultural output, according to the al-Baider Center for Studies and Planning, a non-governmental and non-profit organization located in Baghdad.
These environmental challenges have far-reaching consequences, including the proliferation of dust storms, particularly during the summer months, attributed to decreased rainfall and soil desertification.
A study conducted by Yale University, Columbia University, and the World Economic Forum underscores the severity of the issue, revealing that Iraqi dust carries 37 toxic substances and over 147 dangerous bacteria and fungi.
Despite the urgency of the situation, Iraq lags behind in preparedness and governmental planning to combat climate change challenges, ranking poorly in global assessments of climate resilience and mitigation efforts.
Mr Ibrahim Thiaw, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), paid a three-day visit to Mauritania from 15 to 17 April. This strategic visit coincides with Mauritania’s current role as Chair of the African Union and sets the stage for the upcoming 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, later this year.
During his stay, Mr Thiaw held high-level talks with the Mauritanian authorities, focusing on strengthening cooperation between Mauritania and the UNCCD. These discussions are particularly important as they come at a time when Mauritania is not only leading the African Union, but also facing serious environmental challenges that are at the forefront of the international sustainable development agenda.
Mauritania is facing severe environmental degradation, with 1.28 million of its total population of 4.3 million exposed to land degradation, covering 60 per cent of its total land area. The country has been severely affected by recurrent droughts since the late 1960s, making desertification control a national priority and a key concern of successive governments. In 2021, Mauritania experienced the most severe drought in its history, resulting in 20 per cent of the population facing acute food insecurity. This degradation has not only led to physical and economic impacts, but has also increased social vulnerability, particularly among low-income households and women who rely heavily on natural resources for their livelihoods.
“Mauritania is a country severely affected by desertification, and it is crucial to rethink the country’s development policies in the light of climate change. This includes adopting new and renewable energy sources, formulating more appropriate agricultural and fisheries policies, combating drought and implementing environmental programmes adapted to these arid conditions. The development of a tailor-made strategy is essential, with Mauritania charting its own course to address these complex issues”, said Ibrahim Thiaw.
Mauritania is one of 22 countries participating in the Great Green Wall initiative. This ambitious project aims to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land, sequester 250 million tonnes of carbon and create 10 million green jobs by 2030. Through this initiative, Mauritania is seeking both environmental and economic benefits, demonstrating its commitment to both local and global sustainability efforts
After ratifying the UNCCD in June 2001, Mauritania launched the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification (PAN-LCD), which takes an integrated, participatory approach. This plan has been instrumental in integrating poverty reduction into desertification control programmes, working with grassroots communities, local authorities and non-governmental organisations.
Riyadh, 28 April 2024 – World Environment Day (WED) 2024 host, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Environment Programme, (UNEP) have launched campaigns to combat desertification, restore land and build drought resilience ahead of global WED celebrations on 5 June in the country’s capital Riyadh.
”Now is the time to act on commitments to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation” said Elizabeth Mrema, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP, launching the global campaign at a Saudi Environment Week event in Riyadh.
”We are the first generation to now fully understand the immense threats to the land – and might be the last one with a chance to reverse the course of destruction. Our priority now must be on restoring ecosystems – on replanting our forests, on rewetting our marshes, on reviving our soils,” she added.
Both campaigns will champion leadership in restoring land and put the spotlight on the Kingdom’s commitments at home and across the region to combat climate change by regreening and rewilding huge swathes of arid and semi-arid lands. Saudi Arabia is leading the G20 Global Land Initiative launched during its G20 Presidency in 2020 and will also host the largest-ever UN conference on land and drought in Riyadh from 2-13 December 2024 – the 16th session of the Convention’s Conference of the Parties (COP16).
In March 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 2021–2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. This World Environment Day aims to support accelerated progress on these commitments, with Saudi Arabia’s campaign connecting with the theme of COP-16, ‘Our Land, Our Future’, and the ‘We are #GenerationRestoration’ slogan of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Globally, countries have pledged to restore one billion hectares of land – an area larger than China – by protecting 30% of land and sea for nature and restoring 30% of the planet’s degraded ecosystems. Championing the 2030 Agenda of shifting the world onto a sustainable and resilient path and joining forces to protect people and planet, World Environment Day 2024 will contribute to building momentum for climate action by rallying support for vital ecosystems restoration work.
World Environment Day, marked annually on 5 June, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. Over the past five decades, it has grown to be one of the largest global platforms for environmental outreach, with tens of millions of people participating online and through in-person activities, events and actions around the world.
For centuries, desert travelers have relied on oases as life-giving sanctuaries. These pockets of green have sustained communities, fueled trade, and sparked imaginations. Yet, oases are under pressure. New research exposes the delicate balance between human intervention and natural forces such as desertification shaping the fate of these vital ecosystems.
What is an oasis?
An oasis isn’t simply a desert mirage. It’s a distinct, well-defined area where vegetation thrives, contrasting sharply with the surrounding arid landscapes. This extraordinary phenomenon is made possible by a dependable water source, which could be:
Groundwater: Underground water that reaches the surface, creating a natural spring or well.
Mountain runoff: Water from rain or melting snow that flows down from higher elevations, gathering in low-lying desert areas.
Despite covering only a tiny fraction (around 1.5%) of our planet’s land area, oases play a disproportionately important role. They provide essential resources and support around 10% of the world’s population, offering a lifeline in otherwise harsh, dry environments.
Human efforts to expand oasis
Recent research offers a surprising insight into the changing nature of oases. Counterintuitively, between 1995 and 2020, the total area of oases worldwide increased by a staggering 85,000 square miles. While this might seem like a positive development, there’s a crucial caveat.
The majority of this expansion is not a natural phenomenon but the result of deliberate human intervention. Here’s how it happens:
Large-scale irrigation projects
Governments and private entities embark on ambitious projects to divert water from rivers, lakes, or drill deep wells to tap into underground aquifers. This water is then channeled into desert regions, transforming them into artificially-created oases.
Water-intensive agriculture
The primary objective of many artificial oases is to support agriculture in otherwise barren areas. This involves growing crops that may not be naturally suited to arid environments, leading to high water demands.
Urbanization and development
In some cases, artificial oases are created to support urban growth or industrial development in desert regions. These projects often require substantial and ongoing water resources.
However, the crucial issue with artificial oasis expansion lies in its potential unsustainability. These projects often rely on water sources that are either finite or overexploited.
Desertification and oases
On the flip side, a relentless process called desertification poses a severe threat to oases. Desertification is the gradual transformation of fertile land into barren desert, often caused by factors such as climate change, overgrazing, and unsustainable water use. Desertification has led to the loss of approximately 52,000 square miles of oases during the same 25-year period.
“Although the scientific community has always emphasized the importance of oases, there has not been a clear map of the global distribution of oases,” said Dongwei Gui, a geoscientist at the Chinese Academy of Science who led the study.
“Oasis research has both theoretical and practical significance for achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and promoting sustainable development in arid regions.”
Net result of desertification: Precarious oases growth
At first glance, the expansion of oases might seem like a promising development – a victory against harsh desert conditions. However, a closer examination paints a far more complex and worrying picture. While the total area of oases has increased by approximately 33,400 square miles, this net growth masks a deeper problem.
Much of the recent growth in oasis areas is a direct result of artificial expansion projects. These human-made oases mask simultaneous losses of natural oases due to desertification.
Many artificial oases depend on unsustainable water practices. This includes tapping into rapidly depleting groundwater sources or diverting water from ecosystems that rely on those rivers or lakes for their own survival. It’s a trade-off, sacrificing one area for the short-term growth of another.
This reliance on unsustainable water use casts a long shadow on the future of these oases. As water resources dwindle and ecosystems are disrupted, the artificial expansion will become increasingly difficult to maintain. The very existence of these oases becomes precarious.
The net growth figure, while seemingly positive, hides a troubling reality. It underscores the delicate and vulnerable nature of these ecosystems and raises serious questions about whether this artificial expansion is simply a short-term solution with potentially devastating long-term consequences.
Why do we save oases from desertification?
Oases serve as irreplaceable havens in the world’s drylands. They:
Provide essential water
Drinking and domestic needs: Oases serve as primary water sources for communities living within them, fulfilling basic human needs.
Farming: Irrigation from oases enables agriculture even in arid regions, providing food and supporting local economies.
Livestock: Oases provide water to animals raised for sustenance or livelihood, crucial for pastoral and nomadic populations.
Industry and development: Some oases support small-scale industries or other development projects that depend on access to water.
Support biodiversity
Unique habitats: Oases create distinct micro-ecosystems within harsh desert environments, allowing specialized plants and animals to flourish.
Endemic species: Some oases harbor plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth, contributing to global biodiversity.
Migratory stopovers: Oases act as vital resting and refueling points for migratory birds and other wildlife traveling through arid regions.
Offer resilience against climate change
Buffers against drought: Oases can provide water and sustenance during extended periods of drought, offering respite to both people and wildlife.
Microclimates: The vegetation and water presence in oases can create slightly cooler and more humid conditions locally, mitigating the harshness of the desert climate.
Adaptation strategies: Traditional oasis management practices may offer valuable lessons for adapting to water scarcity and climate change in wider regions.
Oases are under attack on multiple fronts
Overexploitation of groundwater: As discussed, excessive pumping of groundwater for irrigation or other needs can deplete aquifers faster than they naturally recharge, endangering the long-term survival of the oasis.
Climate change: Rising temperatures increase evaporation rates, making water scarcity even more severe. Changing rainfall patterns can disrupt the delicate water balance that sustains oases.
Loss of glaciers: Glacier meltwater is a lifeline for many oases. As glaciers retreat due to climate change, this essential water source diminishes, threatening the oasis’s future.
“While higher temperatures increase glacier melt, temporarily boosting oases’ water supplies, as glaciers gradually disappear, the yield of meltwater will eventually decrease, leading to the shrinkage of oases once again,” Gui said.
Oases and desertification
The delicate state of our oases demands a transformative approach. Here’s what we can do:
Sustainable water management: Promote water conservation, efficient irrigation techniques, and find ways to replenish groundwater sources.
Ecological land use: Halt destructive practices like overgrazing and support traditional land management that works in harmony with nature.
International cooperation: Many rivers cross borders, and oases depend on them. Countries must work together to protect vital water resources.
“Due to the unique mechanism of oasis formation, a river basin often nurtures multiple oases across several countries, making transboundary cooperation key to addressing water scarcity and promoting sustainable development,” Gui said.
Oases represent extraordinary resilience. In the face of harsh conditions, they offer life and beauty. Yet, their future hangs in the balance. By understanding the intricate dynamics shaping them and embracing sustainable practices, we have the power to safeguard these fragile wonders for generations to come.
Factors including climate change, deforestation, overgrazing and unsustainable agricultural practices are increasingly turning our world’s drylands into deserts.
Degradation of productive soil along with the loss of biodiversity, bodies of water and vegetation also impacts human life, leading to poverty, food and water scarcity and poor health.
But 2024 could become a seminal year for the fight against desertification, with a series of events including the World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting and COP16 focused on tackling the issue.
When we think of deserts, regions such as the Middle East, Northern Africa or Central Asia may spring to mind. But growing desertification in the wake of climate change is increasingly drawing ever wider circles across the globe, increasing steadily. United Nations’ latest data, as presented by 126 Parties in their 2022 national reports, show that 15.5% of land is now degraded, an increase of 4% in as many years.
Desertification is a type of land degradation in which an already relatively dry land area becomes increasingly arid, degrading productive soil and losing its bodies of water, biodiversity and vegetation cover.
The issue reaches far beyond deserts like the Sahara, Kalahari or Gobi deserts. The UNCCD says that 100 million hectares of productive land are degraded each year. Droughts are becoming more common, and three-quarters of people are expected to face water scarcity by 2050.
Hunger and famine are among the most shocking and disastrous phenomena in this world. We are all deeply moved when we see hungry children, especially in drylands, where poverty among rural people is a primary cause of this scourge.
It is striking that despite the positive results achieved since the 1990s with the creation of community gardens for women (Burkina Faso, Senegal), school gardens (Cabo Verde, Burkina Faso), and small family gardens (Algeria), international and national authorities seem reluctant to invest seriously in these straightforward, easily replicable “best practices” to alleviate hunger and poverty.
If local farmers, primarily women, can produce more crops with just half the usual volume of irrigation water by applying a soil conditioner only once, why aren’t we investing more in the proliferation of vegetable gardens for villagers and schoolchildren?
Take a look at my blog, <www.desertification.wordpress.com>, to see what we’ve accomplished with UNICEF Algeria in creating family gardens in the refugee camps of the Saharawi people in the Sahara desert. You’ll find compelling evidence that a practical solution to hunger exists.
Implementing such initiatives could break the downward spiral of hunger and poverty. I know the rural population in drylands often lacks the resources to buy sufficient food and, as a result of chronic malnutrition, becomes weaker and more prone to illness. Enormous sums have been spent on ambitious but sometimes unsustainable programs and projects. What if we invested in creating kitchen gardens and school gardens, providing rural people and their children with an opportunity to produce their own food within 2-3 months? Fresh food, rich in vitamins and minerals, would improve their health, enabling them to work more, become less hungry, and gain some wealth by selling excess produce at local markets.
I see no easier or better way to create an upward spiral. Remember, seeing is believing. That’s what the Saharawis have been telling us after achieving their initial successes with their new gardens and trees in the Algerian Sahara desert. If this approach works here, under such challenging conditions, why not apply it to all drylands?
The day will come when we will see this kind of transformation worldwide.
The world’s oases grew 85,000 square miles in some places and shrank 52,000 square miles elsewhere, due to desertification, a new Earth’s Future study finds. With most of the growth due to artificial oasis expansion projects, water scarcity and climate change will likely lead to net losses in the future. Credit: Sergey Pesterev/unsplash
By the numbers, from 1995 to 2020:
Oases gained 85,000 square miles, mostly from artificial expansion projects
Oases lost 52,000 square miles from desertification and water scarcity
Oases gained a net area of about 33,400 square miles, but that mostly artificial growth is not sustainable
Oases are important habitats and water sources for dryland regions, sustaining 10% of the world’s population despite taking up about 1.5% of land area. But in many places, climate change and anthropogenic activities threaten oases’ fragile existence. New research shows how the world’s oases have grown and shrunk over the past 25 years as water availability patterns changed and desertification encroaches on these wet refuges.
“Although the scientific community has always emphasized the importance of oases, there has not been a clear map of the global distribution of oases,” said Dongwei Gui, a geoscientist at the Chinese Academy of Science who led the study. “Oasis research has both theoretical and practical significance for achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and promoting sustainable development in arid regions.”
The study found that oases around the world grew by more than 220,149 square kilometers (85,000 square miles) from 1995 to 2020, mostly due to intentional oasis expansion projects in Asia. But desertification drove the loss of 134,300 square kilometers (51,854 square miles) of oasis over the same period, also mostly in Asia, leading to a net growth of 86,500 square kilometers (about 33,400 square miles) over the study period.
The findings highlight the risk climate change and anthropogenic stressors pose to these wet sanctuaries and can inform water resource management and sustainable development in arid regions. The study was published in the AGU journal Earth’s Future, which publishes interdisciplinary research on the past, present and future of our planet and its inhabitants.
The birth and death of an oasis
Oases are important sources of water for humans, plants and animals in the world’s drylands, supporting a majority of productivity and life in deserts. They form when groundwater flows and settles into low-lying areas, or when surface meltwater flows downslope from adjacent mountain ranges and pools. The existence of an oasis depends primarily on having a reliable source of water that is not rainfall. Today, oases are found in 37 countries; 77% of oases are located in Asia, and 13% are found in Australia.
Gui and his co-investigators wanted to understand the global distribution and dynamic changes of oases and see how they respond to a changing environment, such as variations in climate, water resources and human activities. Using data from the European Space Agency’s Climate Change Initiative Land Cover Product, the team categorized the land surface into seven categories: forest, grassland, shrub, cropland, water, urban and desert.
The researchers used satellite data to look for green, vegetated areas within dryland areas, indicating an oasis, and tracked changes over 25 years. Changes in the greenness of vegetation indicated changes in land use and oasis health, the latter of which can be influenced by both human activity and climate change. They also looked at changes in land surface type to find conversions of land use.
The researchers found that global oasis area increased by 220,800 square kilometers (85,251 square miles) over the 25-year timeframe. Most of that increase was from humans intentionally converting desert land into oases using runoff water and groundwater pumping, creating grasslands and croplands. The increase was concentrated in China, where management efforts have contributed more than 60% of the growth, Gui said. For example, more than 95% of the population in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region lives within an oasis, motivating conservation and a 16,700 square kilometer (6,448 square mile) expansion of the oasis, Gui said.
Countering human efforts to expand oases, desertification contributed to oasis loss. Worldwide, the researchers found there was a loss of more than 134,000 square kilometers (51,738 square miles) of oasis land over the past 25 years. The researchers estimate that changes to oases have directly affected about 34 million people around the world.
Overall, between gains and losses, oases had a net growth of 86,500 square kilometers (33,397 square miles) from 1995 to 2020 – but most gains were from the artificial expansion of oases, which may not be sustainable in the future.
Long-term oasis sustainability
The study highlighted ways to sustain healthy oases, including suggestions for improving water resource management, promoting sustainable land use and management and encouraging water conservation and efficient use. These efforts are especially important as the climate continues to change, Gui said.
Humans’ over-exploitation of dwindling groundwater can limit oasis sustainability, as well as long-term glacier loss. While higher temperatures increase glacier melt, temporarily boosting oases’ water supplies, “as glaciers gradually disappear, the yield of meltwater will eventually decrease, leading to the shrinkage of oases once again,” Gui said.
International cooperation plays a crucial role in oasis sustainability, Gui said.
“Due to the unique mechanism of oasis formation, a river basin often nurtures multiple oases across several countries, making transboundary cooperation key to addressing water scarcity and promoting sustainable development,” he said.
The company is addressing critical global challenges such as desertification, water scarcity and climate change by transforming arid lands into fertile grounds through innovative agroforestry and desalination techniques which support and bolster environmental protection.
Sand to Green’s approach not only promotes sustainable agriculture and biodiversity but also offers economic prosperity to local communities, making significant contributions to environmental sustainability and resilience against the impacts of climate change.
A trio sets the course
Sand to Green launched in April 2022 following four years of research, development and testing in the Moroccan desert.
Young Co-founder and CEO Benjamin Rombaut says, “From the outset, we observed significant achievements in vegetation growth, soil rehabilitation, food production and more. Recognising the potential for broader application, we founded the business with the aim of replicating and scaling up these types of solutions.”
The concept of utilising agriculture to combat desertification originated with Benjamin, who recognised that advancements in desalination technology, combined with the growing demand for food and biomass, could create new opportunities for agriculture in arid environments.
During his research, he met Gautier De Carcouët, a political science graduate who was pursuing biodiversity studies at AgroParisTech, and through their partnership with Enactus, an entrepreneurship network, they met Wissal Ben Moussa.
Wissal was already engaged in experimental agriculture on her family’s land in southern Morocco, which had been affected by desertification. She completed the trio, bringing practical experience and a deep understanding of both the challenges and potentials of desert cultivation.
The need to tackle desertification
One third of the Earth’s land surface is desert. Human activities and climate change are intensifying desertification, and millions of people continue to be hit by the effects every day as the rate of land degradation increases.
Addressing desertification through greening initiatives can regenerate biodiversity, mitigate the impacts of droughts and floods, create jobs and boost local economies. Restoring degraded land can also increase agricultural productivity and strengthen food security.
The merits are myriad – and from a business perspective, Benjamin says, “Landowners should switch to agroforestry because it offers numerous environmental and economic benefits. This sustainable land use system can enhance soil fertility, increase biodiversity, reduce erosion, and improve water retention.”
Economically, agroforestry can provide diversified income sources through the simultaneous production of multiple crops, including timber, fruit and feed, which can lead to increased resilience against market and climate volatility.
“Agroforestry can also generate additional revenue streams from carbon credits and ecosystem services,” adds Benjamin. “By optimising land use and creating more resilient agricultural ecosystems, agroforestry not only contributes to environmental sustainability but can also become a profitable model for landowners in the long term.”
Support from the EBRD’s Star Venture programme
According to Benjamin, seeking the support of the EBRD’s Star Venture programme in Morocco was driven by a desire to tap into the programme’s vast resources, expertise and network to accelerate Sand to Green’s growth and enhance its ability to counter desertification and climate change.
“The EBRD is recognised for its commitment to fostering innovation, sustainability, and economic growth in emerging markets, making it an ideal partner for start-ups like Sand to Green,” explains Benjamin. “Working with the EBRD offers significant advantages, including access to financial support and expert mentorship, as well as the opportunity to connect with a broad network of industry partners and stakeholders.”
Leveraging digital technologies
Sand to Green has developed an innovative software platform which plays a crucial role in the planning, management and monitoring of its agroforestry projects.
The software utilises data on soil, climate and the availability of water to simulate and implement effective agroforestry designs tailored to specific local conditions. The platform enables continuous monitoring and real-time adjustments, ensuring the success and sustainability of projects.
It also quantifies carbon capture for carbon credit purposes, combining economic and environmental benefits.
This digital approach facilitates the precise management of land resources, optimises the use of water through desalination processes, and ultimately supports the scalability and replication of Sand to Green’s agroforestry projects across different arid regions, making it a key driver of their business model and sustainability goals.
Joining forces at the ChangeNOW Summit
The 2024 ChangeNOW Summit in Paris brought together sustainability leaders from around the world who are invested in deploying practical and timely innovations to protect the planet.
Sand to Green Co-founder and Chief Agricultural Officer, Wissal Ben Moussa, says, “Attending the ChangeNOW Summit was a transformative experience, highlighting the critical need for sustainable innovation and the power of collective action in addressing global challenges. The event showcased groundbreaking technologies and solutions in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and the circular economy, emphasising the role of innovation in combating climate change and environmental degradation. The summit reinforced our commitment to sustainable development and the urgency of implementing solutions that have a positive impact on the planet and society.”
Protecting people and planet
Across the deserts of southern Morocco, Sand to Green is harnessing the ancient wisdom of oasis science to combat desertification and transform barren landscapes. Through a combination of traditional knowledge and cutting-edge technology, the start-up is paving the way for sustainable agriculture in arid regions, offering a beacon of hope in the fight against desertification.
And this is no mirage. Agroforestry is not just about greening deserts: it is a powerful tool for ensuring food security and mitigating population displacement caused by desertification. Cultivating diverse crops alongside trees not only reclaims barren land but also provides sustenance for communities facing drought and famine.
As Sand to Green continues to expand, its positive influences on food security, job creation and environmental conservation promise to be profound, demonstrating the power of innovation in addressing pressing global challenges.
This Earth Day, let us recognise the role of agroforestry in nourishing both the land and its people, creating resilience in the face of environmental challenges and combating the growing threat of desertification.
Understanding regional vegetation dynamics and historical changes in rocky desertification is crucial for assessing the sustainability and potential of afforestation in karst regions.
In a study published in Earth’s Future on April 5, researchers led by Prof. Wang Kelin from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found that maize cultivation and tree felling three hundred years ago triggered severe rocky desertification in the karst area of southwest China.
Scientists have developed a method to identify historical human disturbances using dating methods from karst depression sediments, including 137Cs, 210Pbex and charcoal 14C. The first-ever pollen record in karst depression sediments, combined with comprehensive dating methods and historical documents was presented.
According to the researchers, the forest evolution in southwest Guangxi is divided into three stages of “virgin forest-deforestation-sparse tree planting,” over the past three centuries. It was probably a lush mixed deciduous and coniferous forest at the beginning. However, maize cultivation, along with explosive population growth and migration, accelerated mountain reclamation and deforestation, leading to severe rocky desertification around the 1780s. Since the 1930s, sparse afforestation has taken place, increasing economic benefits.
They conclude that the introduction of maize, population growth, and migration accelerated mountain reclamation and deforestation, leading to historical rocky desertification in the region, making it difficult for some karst areas to restore forest landscapes.
“Previous studies on historical rocky desertification and human activities in karst areas were mainly relied on historical literature records,” said Prof. Yue Yuemin, corresponding author of the study.
“Our findings, for the first time, provide important scientific evidence and basis for establishing ecological restoration baselines and implementing precise afforestation and grassland restoration in karst areas.”
More information: Yuemin Yue et al, Maize Cultivation Three Hundred Years Ago Triggered Severe Rocky Desertification in Southwest China, Earth’s Future (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2023EF004349
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