Desertification: the uneasy interface between science, people &amp; environmental issues in Africa

Thomas, David

doi:10.1080/03056249708704283

ScienceOpen: research and publishing network

For Publishers

For Researchers

Blog
About

Search
Advanced search

views

recommends

From January 2024, all of our readers will be able to access every part of ROAPE as well as its archive without a paywall. This will make ROAPE accessible to a much wider readership, especially in Africa. We need subscriptions and donations to make this revolutionary intiative work.

Subscribe and Donate now!

scite_

Review of African Political Economy

Volume 24, Issue 74

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: found

Is Open Access

Desertification: the uneasy interface between science, people & environmental issues in Africa

Published

other

Author(s): David Thomas ^a

Publication date (Print): December 1997

Journal: Review of African Political Economy

Publisher: Review of African Political Economy

Bookmark

Abstract

Desertification is a major environmental issue that is the focus of a recent UN convention (the CCD) that aims to improve the resolution of the problem.

Desertification is however not a straight forward issue and has many controversial dimensions, in part due to confusion over its definition, extent, characteristics and causes. Many difficulties have arisen at the interface between science, politics and decision makers. From a scientific perspective, these problems have been a result of the speed of scientific research, the way in which scientifc ideas evolve, the manner in which data have been selectively used and, in parts of the developing world, becasue of perceived links between science and colonisation. It is argued that despite these problems that create an uneasy interface between science and politics, desertification can not be tackled from political and social directions alone.

Science has a real role to play in combating desertification, particularly in the light of CCD goals. This role includes retaining the clarity of the issue, identifying environmental responses to human disturbances, monitoring the extent of desretifcation, and identifying appropriate scales of remedial action.

Content

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (publisher-id): crea20

Journal ID (archive): CREA

Title: Review of African Political Economy

Publisher: Review of African Political Economy

ISSN (Print): 0305-6244

ISSN (Electronic): 1740-1720

Publication date (Print): December 1997

Volume: 24

Issue: 74

Pages: 583-589

Affiliations

^a Sheffield Centre for International Drylands Research, Department of Geography , University of Sheffield , Sheffield , S10 2TN , UK

Article

Publisher ID: 8704283 Coden ID: Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 24, No. 74, December 1997, pp. 583-589

DOI: 10.1080/03056249708704283

SO-VID: 3887a847-efee-4ec6-8cec-65c112ae0e93

License:

All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

Page count

Figures: 0, Tables: 0, References: 35, Pages: 7

References

Abel N O J & M and Stocking M. . 1987. . ‘A rapid method for assessing rates of soil erosion from rangeland: an example from Botswana’. . Journal of Range Management . , Vol. 40:: 460––466. .
Agnew C T and Warren A. . 1996. . ‘A framework for tackling drought and land degradation. . Journal of Arid Environments . , Vol. 33:: 309––320. .
Beinart W. . 1996. . “‘Soil erosion, animals and pasture over the longer term: environmental destruction in southern Africa. ”. In The Lie of the Land: Challenging Received Wisdom on the African Environment . , Edited by: Leach M and Meams R. . p. 54––72. . Oxford : : James Currey. .
Brown R B and Wolf E C. . 1986. . “‘Restoring African Soils’. ”. Washington, DC : : World Watch. .
Goudie A S. . 1990. . Techniquesfor desert reclamation . , Chichester : : John Wiley. .
12 March. 1993 . “‘Sands Running Out ‐and Out’. ”. In Guardian, Hie . 12 March. , London :
Hellden U. . 1991. . ‘Desertification: Time for an Assessment? . Ambio . , Vol. 20:: 371––383. .
Hubne M. . 1989. . ‘Is environmental degradation causing drought in the Sahel? An assessment from recent empirical research’. . Geography . , Vol. 74:: 38––46. .
Kemp R. . 1990. . Global environmental issues: a climatological approach . , London : : Routledge. .
Kuhn T S. . 1970. . The Structure of Scientific Revolution . , Chicago : : UCP. .
Livingstone I. . 1991. . ‘Livestock Management and “Overgrazing” among Pastoralists’. . Ambio . , Vol. 20:: 80––85. .
Mace R. . 1991. . ‘Overgrazing Overstated’. . Nature . , Vol. 349:: 280––281. .
Mainguet M. . 1991. . Desertification, Natural Background and Human Mismanagement . , Berlin : : Springer‐Verlag. .
Middleton N J and Thomas D S G. , eds. 1997. . World Atlas of Desertification, . , 2nd edition. , London : : Edward Arnold. .
Milton S J, Dean W R J, Marincowitz C P and Kerley G I H. . 1995. . ‘Effects of the 1990/91 Drought on Rangeland in the Steytlerville Karoo’. . South African Journal of Science . , Vol. 91:: 78––84. .
Ollson L. . 1993. . ‘On the Causes of Famine ‐Drought, Desertification and Market Failure in the Sudan’. . Ambio . , Vol. 22:: 395––403. .
Pearce F. . 1992. . ‘Few Grains of Truth in the Shifting Sands’. . London: The Independent on Sunday . , 26 April;: 48––49. .
Rhoades J D. . 1990. . “‘Soil Salinity ‐ Causes and Controls’. ”. In Techniques for Desert Reclamation . , Edited by: Goudie A S. . Chichester : : John Wiley. .
Roose E. . 1988. . “‘Soil and Water Conservation Lessons from Steep Slope Farming in French Speaking Countries in Africa’. ”. In Conserving Farming on Steep Lands . , Edited by: Molden‐hauer W C and Huson N W. . p. 129––139. . Ankeny , Iowa : : Soil and Water Conservation Society. .
Scoones I. . 1989. . “‘Economic and Ecological Carrying Capacity: Implications for Livestock Development in the Dryland Communal Areas of Zimbabwe’. ”. London : : Overseas Development Agency. .
Stiles D. . 1995. . Social Aspects of Sustainable Dryland Management . , Chichester : : John Wiley. .
Stocking M A. . 1987. . “‘Measuring land degradation’. ”. In Land Degradation and Society . , Edited by: Blaikie P M and Brookfield H C. . p. 49––63. . London : : Routledge. .
Thomas D S G. . 1993. . ‘Sandstorm in a Teacup: Understanding Desertification in the 1990s’. . Geographical Journal . , Vol. 159:: 318––331. .
in press. ‘Science and the Desertification Debate’. . Journal of Arid Environments . ,
Thomas D S G and Middleton N J. . 1994. . Desertification: Exploding the Myth . , Chichester : : John Wiley. .
Toulmin C. . 1995. . “The Convention to Combat Desertfication: Guidelines for NGO activity’. ”. London : : International Institute for Economic Development. .
Tucker C J, Dregne H E and Newcomb W W. . 1991. . ‘Expansion and Contraction of the Sahara Desert from 1980 to 1990’. . Science . , Vol. 253:: 299
UN. . ‘Status of desertification in the hot and regions, climatic aridity index map and experimental world scheme of aridity and drought probability, at a scale of 1:25,000,000’. In: . Explanatory note, UN Conference on Desertification, A/CONF. 74/3 1; . New York : : UN. .
UNEP. . 1987. . Sands of Change, UNEP Environmental Brief 2 . , Nairobi : : UNEP. .
1992. . World Atlas of Desertification . , London : : Edward Arnold. .
1995. . United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those countries experiencing drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, text with annexes . , Nairobi : : UNEP Information Unit. .
Walker J M and Rowntree P R. . 1977. . ‘The effect of soil moisture on circulation and rainfall in a tropical model’. . Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society . , Vol. 103:: 29––46. .
Warren A and Agnew C. . 1987. . “‘An assessment of desertification and land degradation in and and semi‐arid areas’. ”. London : : IIED. .
Warren A and Khogali M. . 1992. . Assessment of Desertification and Drought in the Sudano‐Sahehian Region 1985–1991 . , New York : : UNSO. .
Williams M A J and Balling R R. . 1995. . Desertification and Climatic Change . , London : : Edward Arnold. .

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Abel N O J & M and Stocking M. . 1987. . ‘A rapid method for assessing rates of soil erosion from rangeland: an example from Botswana’. . Journal of Range Management . , Vol. 40:: 460––466. .

[2] Agnew C T and Warren A. . 1996. . ‘A framework for tackling drought and land degradation. . Journal of Arid Environments . , Vol. 33:: 309––320. .

[3] Beinart W. . 1996. . “‘Soil erosion, animals and pasture over the longer term: environmental destruction in southern Africa. ”. In The Lie of the Land: Challenging Received Wisdom on the African Environment . , Edited by: Leach M and Meams R. . p. 54––72. . Oxford : : James Currey. .

[4] Brown R B and Wolf E C. . 1986. . “‘Restoring African Soils’. ”. Washington, DC : : World Watch. .

[5] Goudie A S. . 1990. . Techniquesfor desert reclamation . , Chichester : : John Wiley. .

[6] 12 March. 1993 . “‘Sands Running Out ‐and Out’. ”. In Guardian, Hie . 12 March. , London :

[7] Hellden U. . 1991. . ‘Desertification: Time for an Assessment? . Ambio . , Vol. 20:: 371––383. .

[8] Hubne M. . 1989. . ‘Is environmental degradation causing drought in the Sahel? An assessment from recent empirical research’. . Geography . , Vol. 74:: 38––46. .

[9] Kemp R. . 1990. . Global environmental issues: a climatological approach . , London : : Routledge. .

[10] Kuhn T S. . 1970. . The Structure of Scientific Revolution . , Chicago : : UCP. .

[11] Livingstone I. . 1991. . ‘Livestock Management and “Overgrazing” among Pastoralists’. . Ambio . , Vol. 20:: 80––85. .

[12] Mace R. . 1991. . ‘Overgrazing Overstated’. . Nature . , Vol. 349:: 280––281. .

[13] Mainguet M. . 1991. . Desertification, Natural Background and Human Mismanagement . , Berlin : : Springer‐Verlag. .

[14] Middleton N J and Thomas D S G. , eds. 1997. . World Atlas of Desertification, . , 2nd edition. , London : : Edward Arnold. .

[15] Milton S J, Dean W R J, Marincowitz C P and Kerley G I H. . 1995. . ‘Effects of the 1990/91 Drought on Rangeland in the Steytlerville Karoo’. . South African Journal of Science . , Vol. 91:: 78––84. .

[16] Ollson L. . 1993. . ‘On the Causes of Famine ‐Drought, Desertification and Market Failure in the Sudan’. . Ambio . , Vol. 22:: 395––403. .

[17] Pearce F. . 1992. . ‘Few Grains of Truth in the Shifting Sands’. . London: The Independent on Sunday . , 26 April;: 48––49. .

[18] Rhoades J D. . 1990. . “‘Soil Salinity ‐ Causes and Controls’. ”. In Techniques for Desert Reclamation . , Edited by: Goudie A S. . Chichester : : John Wiley. .

[19] Roose E. . 1988. . “‘Soil and Water Conservation Lessons from Steep Slope Farming in French Speaking Countries in Africa’. ”. In Conserving Farming on Steep Lands . , Edited by: Molden‐hauer W C and Huson N W. . p. 129––139. . Ankeny , Iowa : : Soil and Water Conservation Society. .

[20] Scoones I. . 1989. . “‘Economic and Ecological Carrying Capacity: Implications for Livestock Development in the Dryland Communal Areas of Zimbabwe’. ”. London : : Overseas Development Agency. .

[21] Stiles D. . 1995. . Social Aspects of Sustainable Dryland Management . , Chichester : : John Wiley. .

[22] Stocking M A. . 1987. . “‘Measuring land degradation’. ”. In Land Degradation and Society . , Edited by: Blaikie P M and Brookfield H C. . p. 49––63. . London : : Routledge. .

[23] Thomas D S G. . 1993. . ‘Sandstorm in a Teacup: Understanding Desertification in the 1990s’. . Geographical Journal . , Vol. 159:: 318––331. .

[24] in press. ‘Science and the Desertification Debate’. . Journal of Arid Environments . ,

[25] Thomas D S G and Middleton N J. . 1994. . Desertification: Exploding the Myth . , Chichester : : John Wiley. .

[26] Toulmin C. . 1995. . “The Convention to Combat Desertfication: Guidelines for NGO activity’. ”. London : : International Institute for Economic Development. .

[27] Tucker C J, Dregne H E and Newcomb W W. . 1991. . ‘Expansion and Contraction of the Sahara Desert from 1980 to 1990’. . Science . , Vol. 253:: 299

[28] UN. . ‘Status of desertification in the hot and regions, climatic aridity index map and experimental world scheme of aridity and drought probability, at a scale of 1:25,000,000’. In: . Explanatory note, UN Conference on Desertification, A/CONF. 74/3 1; . New York : : UN. .

[29] UNEP. . 1987. . Sands of Change, UNEP Environmental Brief 2 . , Nairobi : : UNEP. .

[30] 1992. . World Atlas of Desertification . , London : : Edward Arnold. .

[31] 1995. . United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those countries experiencing drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, text with annexes . , Nairobi : : UNEP Information Unit. .

[32] Walker J M and Rowntree P R. . 1977. . ‘The effect of soil moisture on circulation and rainfall in a tropical model’. . Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society . , Vol. 103:: 29––46. .

[33] Warren A and Agnew C. . 1987. . “‘An assessment of desertification and land degradation in and and semi‐arid areas’. ”. London : : IIED. .

[34] Warren A and Khogali M. . 1992. . Assessment of Desertification and Drought in the Sudano‐Sahehian Region 1985–1991 . , New York : : UNSO. .

[35] Williams M A J and Balling R R. . 1995. . Desertification and Climatic Change . , London : : Edward Arnold. .