Drought and desertification threaten the livelihood of more than 1.2 billion people
across 110 countries. Around 2 billion people live in “dry-lands”, which occupy around
40 per cent of the earth´s land surface, while 90 per cent of the people who live in
drylands are from DC (Kingsbury et al. 2012,314). Drought and desertification effect
strongly the development of a country. The town Baga in Nigeria, was once a
fisherman´s village. It was at the coast of the Tschad lake, now it is more than 30km
away from the lake. The increasing desertification of the region at Tschad lake drove the
city to become agriculturally centred, the outcome of desertification for the local
population is significant.
This essay argues for a strong impact of “environmental” problems like desertification
and deforestation on the development of a country. This essay wants to highlight the
importance of these problems for development science. The key argument of this essay
is the reciprocal influence between development and environmental problems.
Development often generates environmental problems, which in turn aggravates future
development.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Explanations of the terms
II.1. Deforestation
II.2. Desertification
III. The reciprocal impact
III.1. Short term
III.2. Long-term
IV. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay examines the reciprocal relationship between economic development and environmental degradation, specifically focusing on how development strategies contribute to deforestation and desertification, which in turn undermine long-term development prospects and human livelihoods.
- Analysis of the nexus between developmental progress and environmental damage.
- Distinction between short-term effects of economic activity and long-term environmental consequences.
- Investigation of case studies in regions like Brazil, Indonesia, and African drylands.
- Evaluation of the impact of global market demands and neo-liberal economic strategies on local ecosystems.
- Discussion of the vicious circle linking rural poverty, resource depletion, and migration.
Excerpt from the Book
III.1. Short term
Developing countries(DC) often induces rising contamination of the environment- problems like deforestation and desertification occur. Development strategies are often affected by the structure of domestic production, economical and technological choices, institutional structures and income distribution. These variables affect energy consumption and patterns of land-use in the agricultural system, which affect the extent of environmental degradation (Adleman et al. 1997,161).
Cultivable land is the basis of the livelihood of 80% of the population in developing countries. Population pressure on cultivable land is very severe. For example in Indonesia is only 0.12 ha of land per capita is arable, in Nigeria 0.15 ha, as compared to the USA with 0.55 ha per capita (Clark 1989, 51). Development always contains “a advancement of all Kulturvölker” (Wagner 1892). The rapid population growth in DC exacerbates the pressure and leads to unsound agricultural practices whose results are land degradation, deforestation and desertification. The World Conservation Strategy saw desertification as “a response to the inherent vulnerability of the land and the pressure of human activities” (IUCN 1980,16). With increasing population and fixed land, people are seeking fresh land to settle in (Ngigi& Tateishi 2004, 283).
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: This chapter introduces the global crisis of deforestation and desertification, establishing the foundational argument that there is a reciprocal influence between human development and environmental stability.
II. Explanations of the terms: This section provides precise academic definitions of deforestation and desertification to clarify the scope of the environmental issues discussed in the text.
III. The reciprocal impact: This chapter explores the conceptual framework of how human activities, such as resource extraction and economic policies, drive environmental change, and how these changes then impact developmental progress.
IV. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the arguments, highlighting the existence of a vicious circle between economic growth and environmental degradation, and calls for a more sustainable approach to development.
Keywords
Deforestation, Desertification, Sustainable Development, Developing Countries, Environmental Degradation, Land Use, Rural Poverty, Economic Growth, World Market, Agricultural Practices, Population Growth, Resource Depletion, Hydrological Cycle, Environmental Policy, Livelihood
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this publication?
The publication investigates the complex and reciprocal connection between economic development in developing countries and the resulting environmental problems like deforestation and desertification.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the impact of export-led growth, the pressure of population growth on limited arable land, the influence of neo-liberal economic strategies, and the long-term consequences of environmental degradation on rural livelihoods.
What is the primary goal of this research?
The goal is to highlight the importance of environmental issues within development science and to demonstrate that development often creates problems that ultimately hinder future growth.
Which scientific methodology does the author use?
The author employs a literature-based analysis and synthesis of data from international organizations (such as the World Bank, FAO, and UNCCD) to construct a theoretical model of reciprocal interaction.
What is covered in the main section of the essay?
The main section categorizes the interaction between development and environment into short-term processes—such as immediate land-use changes for export production—and long-term consequences, such as soil erosion and reduced agricultural viability.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Deforestation, Desertification, Sustainable Development, Developing Countries, and Resource Depletion.
How does the author describe the connection between poverty and desertification?
The author posits that land degradation is both a cause and a consequence of rural poverty, creating a vicious circle where desertification leads to poverty, and poverty necessitates further environmentally damaging practices.
What role do global markets play in the environmental impact?
Global market demand for commodities like soy, palm oil, and beef forces developing countries to adopt large-scale monocultures, which often leads to unsustainable logging and land degradation.
- Quote paper
- Andreas Michaelis (Author), 2014, Deforestation and desertification. Critical development issues?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/273552
