“Sustainable Grazing Requires Significantly Reduced Livestock Herd

Overlooked? The Growing Threat of Desertification

Julian Zhu

For many, the story of a threatened environment modes of subsistence. As livestock herders raise and our roles as caretakers of a fragile Earth has increasingly larger herds, areas which cannot become a mainstay of modern liberal rhetoric, sustain the amount of grazing needed to raise perhaps to the point of weariness. Whereas many such large groups of animals begin the transfor- citizens have become more and more knowledge- mation (Dong 2010). Healthy root systems play able of environmental issues such as air pollution, a key role in increasing soil’s water-holding ca- climate change, and overfishing, other significant pacity and in holding soil down against high environmental problems – especially those that winds. As such, overgrazing directly threat- disproportionately affect developing countries ens the natural resilience of soil against desert

– are overlooked, regardless of their urgency. spread because it disturbs these root systems. BSJ Desertification, defined broadly as the transfor- In a similar fashion, marsh draining to make mation of productive land to infertile desert (pri- space for new agriculture and grazing land on marily in arid and semi-arid regions), is one such the Zoige Plateau decreases the land’s ability to problem, and one which threatens to undermine the long-term economic stability of many developing countries. “Sustainable grazing requires At first, the issue of desertification seems simple significantly reduced livestock enough. As land becomes overworked – through herd sizes on the part of herders intensive agriculture, overgrazing, or poor re- or far stricter regulation of source management – its ability to sustain plant rangeland usage on the part of life deteriorates, leading to the transformation of arable land to desert. That said, however, framing government” desertification as purely the result of human er- ror doesn’t capture the whole picture. While human action does indeed contribute heavily to desert spread, the economic forces that govern these sustain life in the long-term, because doing so actions, as well as environmental factors beyond kills the area’s native plant life and disrupts the human control, play significant roles in deserti- balance of the soil, which in turn leads to soil fication, and only through an understanding of degradation and loss of long-tern fertility. both the economic and environmental issues of Elsewhere, similar land use issues threaten a desertification can meaningful efforts be made to different environment. Karst is a type of land halt its spread. characterized by significant subterranean drain- On a geophysical level, desertification is primarily age and low levels of surface water (Chen et al., the product of soil degradation and conflicts over 2009). Karst land covers 15% of the world’s land land usage. Aeolian desertification, or deserti- area and houses 1 billion people. Karst areas are fication caused when windborne sand settles in highly delicate and have only a small band of previously arable regions, is a serious problem in agriculturally-usable soil between the surface semi-arid regions such as the Zoige plateau China, and bedrock, making these regions extremely where desertified lands have expanded at a com- susceptible to rock desertification. As in the pounded annual rate of 4.07% from 1975 to 2005 Zoige Plateau, intensive agriculture or over- (Dong 2010). For many people in the region, agri- grazing can leave soil vulnerable to dispersal culture and livestock husbandry are the primary by wind, leaving only non-arable rock. In karst

Berkeley Scientific Journal Save or Destroy • Spring 2012 • Volume 16 • Issue 2 • 1 regions, natural weathering of carbonate rock sarily industrial giants but impoverished subsis- pletion that turns arable land infertile (Lichtfouse tional policy change to be fully effective, as taxing to arable soil takes anywhere from two to eight tence farmers and herdsman. As with overfishing, et al., 2009). Introducing crop rotation and other impoverished farmers without giving them the thousand years of weathering. Thus. degrada- poor resource management is a central element, sustainable agricultural strategies require that a) means or tools to switch towards a more sustain- tion could destroy the ability of said land to be but whereas one could make the argument that farmers have access to multiple crops or seed va- able land-use model will do little to alleviate the agriculturally productive for thousands of years overfishing stems primarily from the drive for rieties to grow and b) farmers know the benefit of spread of desertification. While monetary incen- (Chen et al., 2009). excess profit, desertification – as caused by farm- crop rotation, and should be considered as facets tives encourage farmers to consider switching to Despite the destructive effects of desertification, ers and herdsmen in regions of the world such as of broader efforts against land degradation. more sustainable methods, equally important are land/resource management by both government sub-Saharan Africa and southwest China – is fun- Reforestation, or the strategic planting of trees efforts by policymakers to educate their citizens bodies and farmers in both karst areas and the damentally a problem of survival. In areas where in at-risk regions, is another anti-desertification on the actual practice of sound land management. Zoige plateau falls short. Rather than invest re- desertification is prevalent, poor people become technique, due to the soil-stabilizing and water- Areas that rely on agricultural exports as regional sources in maintaining the ecological health of holding qualities of trees. This strategy can have income should be wary of losing competitiveness the rangelands, most herders simply move to a doubly-positive effect, by improving land pro- in globalized markets, as taxing non-sustainable greener pastures, due to the sheer vastness of the ductivity in addition to preventing degradation. production raises prices of products, and mak- “...crop rotation helps to ing the switch to sustainable practice takes time, Zoige Plateau. Sustainable grazing requires sig- maintain land’s ability In the Cuvelai Basin of Namibia, residents rely on nificantly reduced livestock herd sizes on the part to produce food for many trees and wood resources for all aspects of their of herders or far stricter regulation of rangeland lives: trees provide fuel and timber for homes and “Desertification, while also usage on the part of government, neither of which years and avoid the nutrient furniture, as well as base materials for crafts sold are economically favorable in the short term. depletion that turns arable for income (Seely & Klintenberg, 2011). When an issue of poor resource BSJ Similar land use trends appear around the world, land infertile” faced with land degradation due to overpopula- management, is a problem and often in developing regions. Today, desertifi- tion and encroaching commercial interests with- whose main effectors are not

BSJ cation plagues the Algerian High Plateaus, north- out a vested interest in long-term forest health, necessarily industrial giants ern Africa’s most widespread rangeland and key trapped within a vicious cycle: farmers often need Namibian policymakers turned to silviculture – but impoverished subsistence grazing region. Once a highly forested region, to work their land as hard as possible simply to or tree planting – to maintain the forests central to farmers and herdsman.” demands for grazing land prompted heavy de- provide for their families, but such intensive use the well-being of the Cuvelai Basin residents. As forestation of the region in the name of economic destroys land fertility and destroys the ability of yet, however, the conservation efforts remain growth. Both deforestation and the subsequent of farmers to maintain themselves financially in ineffective. Such policies do not go far enough overgrazing severely damaged the soil quality the long term (Requier-Desjardens, Adhikari, & in curbing industrial interests or addressing the effort, and an investment of resources that many of the region, leading to desertification of many Sperlich, 2010). As such, any efforts to combat de- spread of urban areas, highlighting the fact that farmers and policymakers may not be totally fa- parts of the once-fertile plateau through topsoil sertification need to address not only the physical desertification is a problem that demands a mul- miliar with. loss and sand accumulation (Hirche et al., 2011). processes that produce desertification, but also tifaceted response. Because land overuse is often the product of poor As such, the problem of desertification in both the the economic factors that propagate increased To not only halt but reverse desertification, poli- farmers overworking land in order to produce Zoige Plateau and other regions is produced by land degradation. cymakers need to pursue aggressive and multi- enough goods to make a living, providing alter- both environmental and economic forces: though Efforts made to fight desertification vary greatly front efforts, but strategies such as strict resource nate income routes for poor farming communities overgrazing might be the direct cause of degrada- depending on the geographical features of the management or reforestation can be expensive can lift part of the financial load off overburdened tion, economic systems favor maximizing short- region. For instance, in sandy desert areas char- and timely. For these reasons, some desertifi- land. Redirecting human resources towards rural term food production, even at the expense of acterized by high Aeolian desertification, curb- cation experts are proposing not only physical development projects long-term economic and environmental sustain- ing/stabilizing sand dunes and establishing wind but economic anti-desertification strategies. Im- ability. breaksare two ways of addressing the physical proved property rights for poor farmers helps Though many of today’s environmental issues are forces that propel desertification (Saad, Sharrif, incentivize long-term care and stewardship, as a influenced by economic as well as environmental & Gairola, 2011). While these methods do not fix farmer is far more likely to care for their land if factors, desertification differs from other failures the problem of land degradation or resource mis- property protection ensures the long-term safety of resource management in one significant way. management, they can buy time for farmers and of said farmer’s assets (Requier-Desjardens et al., Consider overfishing in the USA, where lack of policymakers to improve soil quality or change 2010). At the level of national government, taxes regulation in catch size/method decimated fish agricultural practices in vulnerable areas. For a and subsidies are two ways that governments stocks. Without strict catch limitations, industrial longer-term solution, smarter agricultural prac- can address the issue of food prices not matching fishing companies treated fish stocks as limitless, tices such as crop rotation can help maintain soil true cost, which would include the cost of land eliminating far more fish from stocks than wild health and fertility. Because different plants con- maintenance. This can be done by either taxing populations were able to sustain. Desertification, sume and replenish different nutrients, crop rota- non-sustainable or land-degrading agriculture, or Figure 1. Chinese farmers work in the desertified Xinjiang while also an issue of poor resource management, tion helps to maintain land’s ability to produce subsidizing sustainable practices. A taxes-based region. is a problem whose main effectors are not neces- food for many years and avoid the nutrient de- approach will likely need to accompany addi-

2 • Berkeley Scientific Journal • Save or Destroy • Spring 2012 • Volume 16 • Issue 2 Berkeley Scientific Journal Save or Destroy • Spring 2012 • Volume 16 • Issue 2 • 3 tice, ranging from massively improved fertilizers to tion of remote sensing images. Journal of Arid Environ- (e.g. constructing schools, well/road building) not genetic engineering of crops. Similar narratives can be ments, 75, 1164-1172. only alleviates pressure on intensive agriculture, traced in other fully developed countries such as France, 4. Hirche, A., Salamani, M., Abdellaoui, A., Benhouhou, S., Martinez Valderrama, J. (2011). Landscape changes of but can also produce tangible public benefits to Germany, and the like. That said, even developed na- desertification in arid areas: the case of south-west Al- the community as a whole (Requier-Desjardens et tions should be concerned about desertification due to geria. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 179, al., 2010). In some regions, channeling efforts to- the globally connected nature of today’s economy. 403-420. wards protecting natural biodiversity can turn an In some countries, desertification threatens both eco- 5. Khan, M. & Shah, S. (2010). Agricultural Development otherwise overworked farming area into a tour- nomic and social integrity, and could result in a coun- and Associated Environmental and Ethical Issues in South Asia. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental ist-magnet, inviting a foreign cash stream that try’s economic collapse. In Libya – with only 1% of its Ethics, 24, 629-644. also works as a conservation effort. Both these land arable and 95% of its land desert – a combination 6. Lichtfouse, E., Navarrete, M., Debaeke, P., Souchere, strategies, however, rely on some other factor be- of resource overexploitation, insufficient water (a com- V., Alberola, C., & Menassieu, J. (2009). Agronomy for yond the control of farming communities. Rural bination of population growth and climate change), Sustainable Agriculture: A Review. Sustainable Agri- development projects, for example, requires mu- and economic pressures to overproduce are pushing culture, 1-7. 7. Ma, Q., Wang, J., Li, X., Zhu, S., Liu, H. & Zhan, K. (2009). nicipal or national government funding to pro- Libya closer and closer to the threshold after which the Long-term changes of Tamarix-vegetation in the oasis- vide income for laborers, and developing biodi- country loses the ability to produce enough food for its desert ecotone and its driving factors: implication for versity requires a region be biologically diverse own population. After this point, Libya will become de- dryland management. Environmental Earth Sciences, and tourist-friendly in the first place. In other pendent on foreign food imports, a situation that places 59, 765-774 words, both strategies demand revenue streams the Libyan government at the mercy of their food pro- 8. Requier-Desjardins, M., Adhikari, B., & Sperlich, S. BSJ (2010). Some Notes on the Economic Assessment of from without, and therefore cannot be overly re- viders (Saad et al., 2011). For all countries, the loss of Land Degradation. Land Degradation and Develop- lied on as desertification-combating strategies. food security and the ability to self-sustain are signifi- ment, 22, 285-298.

BSJ As stated before, efforts to halt and reverse land cant political and economic destabilizers, and political 9. Saad, A., Sharrif, N., Gairola, S. (2011). Nature and causes degradation trends in at-risk regions will require instability in a country is often the precursor to greater of land degradation and desertification in Libya: Need a combination of strategies – both economic and regional instability. Similarly, economic collapse or di- for sustainable land management. African Journal of Biotechnology, 10, 13680-13687. physical – in order to produce meaningful results. saster in one country can create a domino effect (as seen 10. Seely, M. & Klintenberg, P. (2011). Case Study Deserti- Developed countries tend to have few issues with with the US mortgage crisis), making every instance of fication: Central-Northern Namibia. Silviculture in the desertification in their own territories. Since the desertification an issue that transcends borders. Tropics, 491-499. Dust Bowl, the United States has been free of any As an issue, desertification is often sidelined by seem- vast anthropogenic agricultural disasters. Addi- ingly larger, more politically charged environmental Image sources: tionally, the second half of the 20th century has problems such as climate change and deforestation, de- http://www.pxleyes.com/images/contests/dunes%20 been marked by huge strides in agricultural prac- spite the fact that the threat of desertification is both very and%20lake/fullsize/dunes%20and%20 real and very dangerous. Policymakers in countries like lake_4af6ee277f37d_hires.jpg Libya and China can strive as best they can to defend http://farm1.static.flickr.com/26/96477237_f192ad6bb2_o. against desertification, but to truly halt desert spread, jpg international commitment and effort is required. While http://capetown.china-consulate.org/eng/zt/nd/nd2007/sds- dW020071008798454225550.jpg desertification’s immediate effects are felt most sharply http://www.btcycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/1b.jpg in developing countries, the long-term impact of desertification on the health of the planet is imminent, de- manding a swift and multipronged response.

References:

1. Chen, X., Zhang, Z., Chen, X., & Shi, P. (2009). The impact of land use and land cover changes on soil moisture and hydrau- lic conductivity along the karst hillslopes of southwest China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 59, 811-820. 2. Dong, Z., Hu, G., Yan, C., Wang, W. & Lu, J. (2010). Aeolian desertification and its causes in the Zoige Plateau of China’s Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Environmental Earth Sciences, 59, 1731-1740. 3. Hein, L., de Ridder, N., Hiernaux, P., Leemans, R., de Wit, A., Schaepman, M. (2011). Desertification in the Sahel: Towards better accounting for ecosystem dynamics in the interpreta-

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