According to UN forecasts, by 2025, about two-thirds of the agricultural lands in Africa will become deserts, the process of desertification will make life in these areas intolerable. According to the same forecast, in the next five years 60 million Africans will be forced to leave their homes because of the invasion of the desert
Dr. Assaf Rosenthal
We are all aware of the mass movement of Africans towards Europe in search of livelihood and in a desperate attempt to exist and live better.
According to UN forecasts, by 2025, about two-thirds of the agricultural lands in Africa will become deserts, the process of desertification will make life in these areas intolerable. According to the same forecast, already in the next five years 60 million Africans will be forced to leave their homes because of the invasion of the desert.
This process causes young Africans to try to reach Europe but also to join armed militias such as "Boko-Haram" and others. In order to try and improve the living conditions of African farmers, it is necessary to change conditions, that is, to stop the process of desertification.
One of the more significant initiatives to stop the desert is the establishment of a "green wall" along the Sahel (south of the Sahara). About five years ago I wrote here about The African Green Wall Initiative, a wide strip planted with vegetation that will stretch from Senegal in West Africa to Djibouti in the east, that is, about 7,000 km long.
The intention is to stop the migration of the Sahara sands to the south and thus to stop the spread of the desert and restore about 500 thousand square kilometers of agricultural land. The "green wall" will stop the desert and in addition will create employment that will give young people an alternative to extreme migration. In the "green wall" there will be edible and medicinal plants and thus its benefits will be doubled.
This was said recently at a conference held in Dakar in Senegal to promote the initiative. The conference was organized by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and according to the organizers "it is not just about counting trees but also and above all building robust populations and developing sustainable projects that will give young people a reason to stay."
At the conference, the countries signed their commitment to act and support the initiative. The initiative was first presented to the African Union in 2005 by the President of Nigeria. Over the years planting began and recently at the climate conference in Paris four billion dollars were allocated to the initiative to come from France and the World Bank.
Critics claim that the external budgeting is not safe, but there are local organizations that support the project with the understanding that "a project that comes from African countries unites local populations."
In the meantime, about 15% of the trees and plants targeted by the project have already been planted, mainly in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, where there are already villages whose residents are enjoying the crops of the "Green Wall", and according to the one accompanying the project on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations " Local residents mobilize for the restoration activity and choose the plants for planting.'
And I add that: there is no doubt that the "green wall" is an important project and if it is realized it will give many villagers a breather and a chance for improvement, yet it is only part of the solution. The important part is the need to recognize that the time has come that instead of controlling the environment for the sake of the human population, there will be control of the human population for the sake of the environment.
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Indeed a tributary, the planting of olive groves has shown that they moderate the climate, they have the effect of a forest. In addition to the economic benefit of the olive fruit. The study showed that the animals were also hired - more deer, rabbits and birds. The planting of olives has stopped and many trees have been cut down in the Negev. Because of the increase in the price of salty water (not drinking water), which has harmed the economic viability. In individual farms, agriculture manages to give a feeling of "Tuscany" or "Provence" in the Israeli Negev. Considering that most Israelis prefer to vacation and live in the north, equal Dedicate marginal water (that is not used for drinking), to agriculture (brackish or settled water).
This is probably also relevant to Israel, which is on the border of the desert.
It is likely that planting trees in the Negev will increase the amount of rain as a result of the trees absorbing the sun's radiation.
The same goes for planting trees on the roofs of houses.
Apparently there are places in Israel that are unfit for human habitation, say the Jordan Valley or the southern steppe. But the insulation of the houses + air conditioning, and the accessibility of the water. Yes, they make life possible there. In addition, this is one of the places with the most active agriculture in Israel. (And there is not much agriculture left in Israel). That is, in Assaf's response about places that do not allow human life (only in the case of underdevelopment)
oh wow
Ami
read again,
It says: two-thirds of the agricultural land in Africa,
(not two thirds of Africa)
By the way, in the same forecast there is an assumption that:
"Because of the warming, there will be large parts of the Middle East
(including Israel) not suitable for habitation"...
Ideas similar to this were used and implemented in the USA and the Soviet Union. In a city like Odessa in Ukraine, it was mandatory to plant a few trees for every house that was built. Israel is a wonderful example of the benefits of forestry, the pine trees release substances into the air that encourage rainfall, even Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, was not abandoned thanks to the planting of eucalyptus trees Thanks to their rapid growth fuel and construction materials became possible
Assaf Shalom,
I searched UNCCD publications for data regarding predictions for 2025 that two-thirds of Africa's land will be deforested.
I did not find such a figure and considering the size of Africa such desertification in a decade due to the Sahara strip sounds absurd.
I would appreciate a reference to reading material that supports the claim
What can't we do so that we don't have a black eye... (If it wasn't for immigration - a worn dollar would not arrive)
[and despite the creaking in the above line, I think this is a blessed venture]
And who will pay? Will Bannon pay?
Next to the green wall, a steel wall should be built in a way that will stop Boko Haram and other scum from the desert. Today there is no political or military will on the part of any power to invest in such ventures. Moreover, there is no desire on the part of the recipients to absorb and maintain such a thing.
20 years ago there was some delusional guy talking about a solution to the desertification process. He proposed to take care of it through Israeli knowledge of irrigation and proper utilization of water sources. He even talked about bringing Israel into the Arab League. The echoes of the panic that gripped the Arab peoples at that time can be heard to this very day,
Is there enough precipitation in these areas to sustain the plants?
How will you prevent excessive cutting of the plant?