Halt the dispansion to save soil from extinction
An approach that may fuel the save soil movement
#savesoil movement launched by Sadhguru Ji has gained Global attention. There was a time when #savewater caused global concern and it is not like it subsided, but we humans gave rise to another one. Although natural causes are equally responsible for soil depletion, we humans act as catalysts and disrupt the natural equilibrium. As I am writing these lines, somewhere in the world, a forest fire degrades the quality of the soil or deserts spread at a faster rate.
One such reason is definite: the earth only comprises less than 30% of the land.
It takes thousands of years to form a layer of soil, but thousand of seconds can lead to its erosion. And things don't seem to be confined here. Instead, not all land available is fertile. Take the example of dessert: the Gobi desert (waterless place), one of the fastest-growing deserts, is expanding through a process called desertification. And hence this whole topic becomes kind of perturbing. So, this article will deal with the ways through which we can push back the desert and plant one tree at a time.
Scientists are really exploring ways to green the desert again. One such example is the Gobi, it devours almost 6000 sq kilometers of land per year, leaving villagers in the area stranded for their livelihood. Soil issues here allies with the climatic cycle and pose a threat due to low rainfall.
Humans are driving the transformation of arid lands into vast landscapes hostile to life. Extreme droughts, deforestation, and overgrazing have severely degraded once-fertile soils. It is estimated that about 25% of soil will be affected by the middle of the century.
According to Dr. Baron Joseph Orre ( Lead Desert Scientist at UNCCD) “If we don’t have a solid base upon which people’s livelihood can depend upon, everything else becomes precarious.”
When NASA captured green circles over the deserts of Saudi Arabia, it fascinated everyone. The green fields that dot the desert draw on water that, in part, was trapped during the last Ice Age. Besides rainwater that fell over several hundred thousand years, these fossil water-filled aquifers are now buried deep under the desert’s shifting sands. (Source- NASA)
So now we know that a solution to this is monoculture farming. In deserts, it only rains a few centimeters of average rainfall per year. So they can’t refill the aquifers. But we can use water in the desert in more sustainable ways. One such example is flash floods. Yes, that’s right! A project in Saudi Arabia is called the Al Bayda project, and it focuses on regenerative agriculture. So, the idea is to channel the floodwaters to where there is a need and keep them. They can achieve it by building dams or pits. And there it can reabsorb them. This project has been up and running since 2010 and has restored grasses and native trees.
Even the Sahara desert is undergoing drastic changes with the help of wind turbines and solar panels. But how do these modern technologies help the desert?
It all starts when the black surface of the solar panels heats the air, making it rise to higher altitudes. The wind turbine rotation has a similar effect. This upward motion carries the moisture with it and due to low pressure on the higher altitudes, it becomes cooler and moisture condenses to form rain. All it will do is increase the rainfall in that area and hence the crop production in the fertile lands. This is called Rain-fed agriculture.
With these examples, reversing desertification IS POSSIBLE, we can restore soils, water cycles, and vegetation with natural or high-tech methods. To stop desertification and desert expansion, scientists know what needs to be done: curb global warming and the over-exploitation of soil. This will keep the planet’s landmass healthy.
A note- Deserts are perfectly normal since they are a creation of nature and form a complete ecosystem. But their expansion needs to be controlled, and that was the motive of this article.
Check out my other articles related to some unique farming practices around the globe.