From Mesopotamia to the Nile Valley: Soil Degradation and Desertificati

From Mesopotamia to the Nile valley Soil Degradation and Desertification Desertification has many definitions, encompassing both(prenominal) the physical and social consequences of the transformation of land into desert-like conditions. In all cases, the impacts of merciful activity are indelibly linked to desertification. In 1977, the United Nations congregation on Desertification proposed a definitionDesertification is the diminution or destruction of the biological potential of the land, and can lead ultimately to desert-like conditions. It is an aspect of widespread declivity of ecosystems, and has diminished or destroyed the biological potential, i.e., plant and animal production, for treble use purposes at a time when increased productivity is requisite to support growing populations in quest of development. (Mainguet, 1994, 3)In addition, Monique Mainguet cites Kates et al. (1977) as noting that, hostile drought, which is usually a short-term diminution of available mo isture, the physical processes affect in desertification are long-term, chronic, and pervasive (1994, 2). Mainguet considers soil deterioration as the well-nigh critical component of land degradation and, in the framework of permanent land degradation, as the main factor of desertification (1994, p. 151). Soil degradation is express as water and wind erosion, salinization, loss of soil fertility, and soil compaction (Dregne, 1985, p. 19). Changes to the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil may bring severe paucity to a previous fertile area. Desertification has destroyed past civilizations, such wedlock Mesopotamia, and is currently degrading vulnerable lands around the world, such as the Nile Valley of Egypt. The most important... ...Hulme, Mike and Kelly, Mick, 1993, Exploring the Links Between Desertification and Climate Change milieu (St. Louis), v. 35 6, p. 4-11.Kishk, M. A., 1986, Land Degradation in the Nile Valley Ambio, v. 15, p. 226-230. Mainguet, Monique, 1994, Desertification Natural backdrop and Human Mismanagement forward-looking York, Springer-Verlag, 314 p.Mitchell, D. J. and Fullen, M. A., 1994, Soil-Forming Processes on Reclaimed Desertified Land in North-Central China In Millington, Andrew C., and Pye, Ken, eds., 1994, Environmental Change in Drylands New York, John Wiley and Sons, p. 393-412.Sabadell, J. Eleonora, et al., 1982, Desertification in the United States Washington, D. C., U. S. Government Printing Office, 277 p.Weiss, H., et al., 1993, The Genesis and recess of Third Millennium North Mesopotamian Civilization Science, v. 261, p. 995-1004.