Sahel - DESERTIFICATION

• what is the sahel

  an area covering 10 nations across west to east africa, including Chad, Sudan and Niger. its suffering from desertification due to human and physical factors
• Physical factors affecting the Sahel

  • Increased periodic drought
  • Exposure to high winds
  • Changes in rainfall patterns
  • Infertile soils
  • Changes in albedo of surface
• Increased periodic drought


  1. Soils can't support agriculture

  2. Only xerophytes can survive

  3. Increase irrigation using contour stone barriers to reduce run-off and restore groundwater levels
• Exposure to high winds

  1. Removal of moist air around plants increases evaporation

  2. Soil erosion increases

  3. Create vegetation barriers
• Changes in rainfall patterns

  1. Rain evaporating too fast in summer

  2. Too intense in winter
• Infertile soils


  1. Lack of vegetation

  2. No accumulation of organic matter

  3. Any gained is quickly lost

  4. Introduce nitrogen fixing trees and planting pits
• Changes in albedo of surface

  1. Light rock doesn't absorb heat

  2. Atmosphere increases in temperature

  3. Holds more water vapour

  4. Have a regreening project
• human factors affecting the sahel

  • population growth
  • land grabbing
  • increased deforestation
  • overgrazing and overcultivation
• Population growth


  1.Over 920 million

  2. Increased demand means more struggle

  3.Educate on smaller families
• Land Grabbing 


  1.Displaces indigenous families

  2.Forces migration as droughts increase

  3.Improve farmers rights
• Increased Deforestation 


  1.For fuel and land

  2.Increased erosion and loss of nutrients

  3. Afforestation Projects
• Overgrazing and overcultivation 


  1.No time to recover

  2.Increased crop failure

  3. Educate farmers, increase crop rotation and investment in drought resistant varieties
• what has the sahel done to improve food security

  1.added organic matter to soil as planting pits, attracts bugs and increases plant growth so there are more minerals in the soil.

  2.lines of stones act as a sieve to catch and block minerals

  3.plant trees and chop smaller branches from them to encourage growth