The Impacts and Dangers of Desertification and

Desert Exploitation

(Nag, 2016; Zimmermann, 2012; Blandford)

A United Nations Environment Programme Report

Mohamad Aboufoul
Contents
Abstract 2

The Impacts of Desertification and Human Exploitation of Deserts 2

Types of Exploitation and Means of Desertification 2

Effects on Plants and Animals 4

Effects on Humans 5

Past, Current, and Potential Actions to be Taken to Protect Humans, Ecosystems, and
Inhabitants from Desert Exploitation 6

Past Attempted Solutions and Current Movements 6

Human Activities with Minimal Negative Impact 7

Implementing Laws that Protect Deserts 7

Stronger, Enforced Global Actions Will Prevent Desert Exploitation and Resolve its
Current Effects 7

Current Standards and Requirements of Environmental Agreements 7

The Need for Global Support and Stronger, Enforceable Policies 7

Conclusion 8

References 9

Figures
Figure 1 4

Figure 2 5

Figure 3 6

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AbstractExecutive Summary Commented [M1]: Changed from “abstract” to
“executive summary.”

Deserts cover over one fifth of the land surface of the Earth with more than 1 billion people
living in or near such regions (“Desert Information and Facts”, 2009). For centuries, deserts were
commonly believed to be arid, desolate regions lacking life and resources, meaning that they
were areas that could be subjected to practically anything without risk or worry of any
repercussions. Because of this, for decades since the industrial revolution, deserts have
undergone constant weapons testing, dumping of waste and/or hazardous materials, and other
actions that wouldn’t be conducted in any region thought to be sensitive or vulnerable to outside
interference (Haynes 197).

Of course, by the 1990s, this disposition was found to be utterly false (Haynes 197). Aside from
the known human populations that live in or near deserts, a rich, diverse array of plant and
animal species inhabit the various deserts that span the planet. And because not all deserts are
simply hot, sandy regions, there is a wider variety than simply reptilian and cacti-like species.
From the rocky deserts of Nevada to the frigid zones of Antarctica, deserts are the home of
countless species with meticulously specialized adaptations to survive these intense
environments. Yet beneath the surface of this wondrous biome lies an abundance of natural
resources like minerals, oil, and natural gas.

With the discovery of the riches that deserts hold, humans have pursued large-scale extraction
efforts of them in addition to continuing many of their previous exploitations of deserts as listed
above. Humans have also negatively affected deserts and neighboring ecosystems via
overgrazing, unsustainable farming, soil and water contamination because of fracking, and
human expansion and traffic into deserts for the purposes of tourism and new settlements
(Haynes 198). These rapid changes have modified desert environments so much that the plant
and animal species who have such specialized adaptations to survive their harsh environments
cannot adjust and soon become endangered or extinct. Global warming also contributes to the
damages, and in totality, the intrusions of humans threaten not only deserts and their native
species, but humans as well.

Attempted solutions involve encouraging human activities that involve the least amount of
interference with deserts as well as implementing laws that prevent activities that would bring
about major harm to them. However, without any authority backing these proposals, they are
virtually meaningless. Current standards and practices must be improved to reduce and reverse
the exploitation of deserts, and global organizations must gain authority to enforce these policies. Commented [M2]: Added text regarding solutions to
“executive summary.”

The Impacts of Desertification and Human Exploitation of Deserts

Types of Exploitation and Means of Desertification Formatted: Space Before: 6 pt

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The exploitation of deserts can take many forms. The most obvious forms are those that involve Commented [M3]: Decrease space between
direct human interference with the desert environments. However, aside from the excessive subheading and paragraph.
extraction of resources, overgrazing, and weapons testing, a rapidly spreading problem known as
desertification can also be induced by humans.

An article by the Eden Foundation (“Desertification - a threat to the Sahel”, 1994) describes
desertification as the transformation of regions bordering deserts into deserts themselves. These
lands are typically semi-arid drylands that have vast areas of perennial plants separating them
from the actual deserts. The disappearance or removal of such vegetation leads to the exposure of
the bordering area’s soil to erosion and the introduction of sand, making the land infertile. If this
continues long enough, the whole region turns into a desert and cannot return to its former state,
causing current inhabitants to either leave, or go extinct. Desertification may occasionally
happen due to extreme droughts that destroy the perennial vegetation, but humans more often
than not bring about the degradation themselves by extracting too much water from the land,
leading to the destruction of the plants that border the desert and keep the main land fertile, or by
directly removing the adjoining plants to make room for agriculture. The edible plants with
which humans displace the previous vegetation, however, cannot prevent the soil from being
exposed to wind that will erode it nor incoming sand from the neighboring desert, making it
infertile in the long-term (“Desertification - a threat to the Sahel”, 1994). This has been a major
issue in the Sahel, a region right under the Sahara Desert spanning nearly the same length across
Africa. The loss of its border of vegetation has put the extremely vast region at risk of turning
into a desert as well, which would be catastrophic given its size, fertile land, and multitude of
plant and animal species as well as humans (“Desertification - a threat to the Sahel”, 1994).

While desertification leads to the unnatural and catastrophic transformation of fertile lands into
deserts, the excessive extraction of resources from deserts has caused a significant amount of
damage to the various ecosystems that they hold. A commonly overused resource of deserts are
underground aquifers, which hold an abundance of water in the extremely arid regions. These, as
well as rare rivers like the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, are often the main, if not the only
source water for humans living there and are connected to basins and springs that hold thriving
ecosystems. The drainage of the available water not only reduces the amount that will be
available for use in the future but also dries up the connected basins and salinizes the soil
(Haynes 199).

The extraction of oil has put deserts at great risk despite the immediate wealth they bring to the
nations that export it and the companies that drill it. Oil spills are far too common and damage
both land and water, killing many organisms and poisoning the little fresh water and soil in the
regions (Haynes 200). Often times, fires may start and burn vast amounts of oil and natural gas
being drawn out, releasing large quantities of pollution into the atmosphere. A prime example of
such disasters can be seen in Derweze, Turkmenistan, in which Soviet geologists who were
drilling for natural gas ended up with a collapsed crater filled with it. To get rid of the poisonous
methane, they burned it. They didn’t realize that the amount of natural gas was so great that it
would continue to burn to this day (Haynes 200-201). The excessive mining of minerals has also
had negative effects in its need for large amounts of water, draining the water supply and leaving
dry areas in its wake, which often become the dumping grounds for toxic materials, which are
often spread via leakage into the remaining water supply or by wind (Haynes 201).

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 Figure 1. The “Door to Hell” in Derweze, Turkmenistan has been burning since 1971 (Geiling, 2014).

Humans also exploit deserts by using them as testing grounds for weapons like nuclear bombs.
Regions like the Mojave Desert, the Taklamakan Desert, and the Great Victoria Desert have been
used for such purposes since the 1950s, leaving behind large-scale contaminations of radioactive
materials that affect the ecosystems (Haynes 202). Humans have also introduced invasive species
to various deserts in the form of pathogens from their clothes, livestock, and trained assistance
animals that have spread to the native species, threatening their populations like with infected
penguins in Antarctica (Haynes 203). Even attempts at tasks to benefit humanity and the
environment, like the construction of solar panels, can damage deserts. The construction process
and waste that humans leave in their wake as they make such attempts is responsible for many
problems with the ecosystems of the regions, though they are easier to clean up and fix than
other forms of exploitation (Haynes 202).

Effects on Plants and Animals Formatted: Space After: 6 pt

Because deserts are such harsh, arid places, the various organisms that inhabit them must possess
an array of adaptations in order to survive their brutal conditions. Many plants and animals find
ways to withstand the extreme lack of water in these regions by storing and saving it, like camels
and cacti do, and/or by finding ways to reduce water loss, which can be accomplished by plants
by reducing the surface area of leaves to prevent evaporation and by animals by finding shade to
reduce exposure to the brutal sun (Haynes 39-40).

Regardless of the adaptations of an organism, they are very punctilious to the specific harsh
environments in which they live. As discussed above, human exploitation of deserts can make
their environments even more severe from depletion of whatever little water they hold to oil
spills and dumping chemicals that are toxic to its various inhabitants. Plants and animals in
deserts cannot adapt to these severe changes rapidly enough, leading many of them to become
endangered, like the sand gazelle and Arabian tahr, or even extinct (Haynes 198).

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This doesn’t even include what desertification may do to species inhabiting lands that are at risk
of becoming deserts. Those plants and animals don’t have the high-level adaptations that desert
organisms possess, making them even more vulnerable to the transformation of their regions into
deserts. Vegetation will die due to the increased infertility and lack of water, and animals like
livestock will perish due to a lack of consumable plants and water, as can be seen with the
desertification of areas in the Sahel region, below the Sahara Desert (“Desertification - a threat to
the Sahel”, 1994).

Figure 2. Livestock perishing in the Sahel due to a severe lack of food and water (“Desertification - a threat to the
Sahel”, 1994).

Effects on Humans Formatted: Space After: 6 pt

With over 1 billion people living in or near desert regions, the exploitation of deserts poses a
severe threat to them as well (“Desert Information and Facts”, 2009). Again, deserts have a
scarce amount of water. The overuse of it in such regions can result in a significant reduction in
water levels, worsening the conditions of the region. With less water, and with infertile lands due
to excessive mining, oil spills, and other human interference, crops are decimated. Additionally,
the access to land and resources in desert regions is often unequal, leading to civil unrest and
crises for large populations (Haynes 204). Over extraction typically results in significant losses
of resources in the long-term, like with Tucson, Arizona’s high-water extraction rates from
aquifers during periods of droughts, which permanently reduced water levels over the past
decades (Miller, 2017). Even with the immediate wealth that some resource extraction may
bring, the people living in the areas don’t necessarily enjoy the benefits, as corporations and the
ruling classes typically reap most of the profits (Haynes 198).

Desertification can have similar, if not worse effects. As previously discussed, desertification can
decimate crops and permanently reduce the water supply of a region by making it infertile and
turning it into a desert. The drying up of the Aral Sea, which covers ~17,000 km2, is a prime
example of the severity of desertification. The excessive use of water from the Amu Darya and
Syr Darya, which connect to the Aral Sea, for the purposes of irrigation for Uzbekistan and
Kazakhstan, has drained it down to 15% of its original size since the 1960s (Haynes 199). The
sea has become ~2.4 times as salty as oceans, killing much of the aquatic life there, and large
areas of lakebed have been exposed with much salt and chemicals from the agriculture conducted
around it. The fishing industry that relied on the Aral Sea is gone, and winds can now carry the
salt and chemicals to neighboring lands, making them infertile as well (Haynes 199). With less
water and fertile land, formerly vibrant regions become uninhabitable for humans.

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 Figure 3. Satellite images of the Aral Sea drying up from 2006-2014 (Ge, 2016)

Past, Current, and Potential Actions to be Taken to Protect Humans,

Ecosystems, and Inhabitants from Desert Exploitation
Past Attempted Solutions and Current Movements Formatted: Space After: 6 pt

As the negative effects of desert exploitation and desertification were being realized, attempts
have been made to solve these problems. Referring back to the natural gas disaster in Derweze,
Turkmenistan, geologists thought to burn the gas released from the large crater they had caused
in order to avoid releasing too much carbon into the atmosphere. However, the large fire caused
by burning it continues to flare to this day, releasing much more CO2 than prior (Haynes 200-
201). With the incident involving the desertification and drying up of the Aral Sea, the
Kazakhstan government built a dam to raise the water levels of its northern part. Unfortunately,
the Aral Karakum desert expanded southward, and pollutants from irrigated fields have been
carried out of it, reaching areas as far as Greenland (Haynes 200).

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Global efforts to curtail the negative impacts have also been made such as with the Antarctic
Treaty in 1959, where twelve nations agreed to manage interference on the frozen desert
continent (Haynes 203). The Madrid Protocol from 1991 had similar measures, in which
participants agreed to prohibit mining on the continent until 2048 (Haynes 203). However, these
agreements are not compulsory, meaning nations can leave whenever they want, and there are no
repercussions to those who do not follow them.

Human Activities with Minimal Negative Impact Formatted: Space After: 6 pt

Aside from trying to curtail the effects of desert exploitation due to significant human
interference, activities involving minimal impact, such as astronomy, can be pursued instead.
Deserts provide incredible opportunities to study the skies due to their clear nights and dry
atmosphere, allowing for many endeavors like the European Southern Observatory (ESO) to be
built and provide groundbreaking research (Haynes 205). Additionally, humans can pursue
activities like planting perennials in regions bordering deserts to prevent the desertification of
those lands (“Desertification - a threat to the Sahel”, 1994).

By practicing such activities, desert ecosystems will not only be protected, but also given the
opportunity to thrive. The flora and fauna that are unique to it can be preserved, which can allow
for a positive aesthetic appeal in deserts as well as the chance for major scientific research
involving them to take place. Overall, net benefits can be made for not only the environment, but
for humans as well. Commented [M4]: Expanding section for why human
activities with minimal negative impact should be
pursued.
Implementing Laws that Protect Deserts
Formatted: Space After: 6 pt

It is quite evident that far more drastic measures need to be taken to protect desert ecosystems as
well as regions that are susceptible to desertification. Global organizations such as the UN must
take a larger role and have a more solid authority when implementing laws to protect these
regions. Nations that contribute to these problems must comply; if they do not, global
organizations must place heavy sanctions upon them. Nations that seek to protect deserts and
avoid desertification but lack the resources to do so must receive help from global environmental
organizations. Without a solid authority, agreements carry little weight, and problems will likely
persist.

Stronger, Enforced Global Actions Will Prevent Desert Exploitation

and Resolve its Current Effects
Current Standards and Requirements of Environmental Agreements Formatted: Space After: 6 pt

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Stronger global authorities with stricter laws to prevent nations from exploiting deserts and
neighboring regions will work far better than previous measures as there will be repercussions
for violations. Previous efforts like the Antarctic Treaty and Madrid Protocol were good starts,
yet agreeing to their terms was optional, and no significant punishments were included for the
violation of such terms (Haynes 203).

The Need for Global Support and Stronger, Enforceable Policies Formatted: Space After: 6 pt

Global organizations placing sanctions on nations who contribute to these problems will force
those nations to comply and take action to reverse the negative effects that stem from their
actions. Additionally, global support can help impoverished nations who suffer from the effects
of desert exploitation and desertification yet lack the means of fixing the problems they bring.
Nations in the Sahel region, Kazakhstan, and others who are either susceptible to desertification
or extract large quantities of resources from their deserts due to an economic reliance will find a
large network of support.

Aside from implementing enforceable measures, governments and global organizations can
encourage human activities that have minimal impact on desert ecosystems, like astronomical
research, and/or actions that help areas susceptible to desertification, like planting perennial
vegetation in areas bordering deserts to prevent it. The list of possible solutions is limited, which
is why it is so crucial to ensure that exploitation is prevented as much as possible.

Conclusion
The exploitation of deserts and desertification pose serious threats to not only their delicate
ecosystems and the plant and animal species that inhabit it, but also the 1 billion people who live
in or near them. Human interference has caused serious damage, much of which cannot be
reversed. Although the extraction of the immense resources that these biomes contain may seem
beneficial and profitable, continuously doing so at rapid rates will lead to catastrophic results and
the decimation of susceptible life in the long-term. Not only are desert ecosystems at risk of
losing many of their organisms and resources, but neighboring fertile regions are also vulnerable
to desertification as well should their soil become exposed due to a lack of vegetation. The
introduction of sands from neighboring dust storms would make these lands infertile and expand
the neighboring deserts, bringing about harsher environments that would decimate native species
and make the lands uninhabitable.

Measures must be taken to ensure that resources are not over extracted and that human activities
with minimal intrusion are pursued. Global organizations must assume greater roles of authority
and ensure that there are repercussions to nations who refuse to comply to policies that would
protect these regions. They must also provide support to nations that may struggle to protect
deserts and neighboring regions and/or may rely heavily on the extraction of desert resources to
support their economies.

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References
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Ge, Yongxiao, et al. “Temporal Variability and Potential Diffusion Characteristics of Dust

Aerosol Originating from the Aral Sea Basin, Central Asia.” Water, Air, and Soil

Pollution, vol. 227, no. 63, 2016, https://doi-org.librarylink.uncc.edu/10.1007/s11270-

016-2758-6. Accessed 3 March 2018.

Geiling, Natasha. “This Hellish Desert Pit Has Been On Fire for More Than 40 Years.”

Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 20 May 2014,

www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/giant-hole-ground-has-been-fire-more-40-years-

180951247/.

Haynes, Roslynn D. Desert. Reaktion Books Ltd, 2013.

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http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.librarylink.uncc.edu/doi/10.1002/2017JB014531/full.

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Nag, Oishimaya Sen. “What and Where Is The Antarctic Desert?” WorldAtlas, 28 Mar. 2016,

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Zimmermann, Kim Ann. “The Sahara: Facts, Climate and Animals of the Desert.” LiveScience,

Purch, 12 Sept. 2012, www.livescience.com/23140-sahara-desert.html.

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foundation.org/project/desertif.html.

“Desert Information and Facts.” Desert Information and Facts | National Geographic, 9 Oct.

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