Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 10.1 Agave roasting pit. This seasonal Kumeyaay village site was occupied for thousands of years. It is located in the
extreme desert with annual rainfall <7.5 cm. Much can be learned from careful analysis of resource utilization by these
successful cultures. Restoration efforts can include species like agave ( Agave deserti ) that provide food for wildlife and insects as
well as people. (Photograph by David Bainbridge.)
address the root causes, and not just the symptoms
(Mitroff & Silvers 2009 ).
greed may lead to management practices that are ill-
advised, in the long term, and unsustainable.
The socio-economic factors that lead to desertifi ca-
tion must be explored at the scale of the local area or
region (see e.g. van Dresser 1976; Termorshuizen &
Opdam 2009). The goal should be a long-term perspec-
tive, not just 1 year, 5 years or 10 years, but rather 50
or 100 years, or 1000. Even in regions where the tran-
sition from the agrarian to the industrial regime is still
underway, or has hardly begun, a centuries-long per-
spective is often possible thanks to colonial archives
(Wardell et al . 2003) and oral histories of indigenous
people. Improving understanding of the drivers of
desertifi cation as well as the local ecosystem response
can encourage more sustainable practices and restora-
tion in use by land managers.
10.2
CAUSES OF DESERTIFICATION
The causes of desertifi cation are complex and often
interlinked in ways that are not readily apparent
(Hallsworth 1987 ; Bainbridge 2007a ). Mismanage-
ment often leads to ecological decline and desertifi ca-
tion. The causes commonly include socio-economic,
administrative and ecological factors.
10.2.1
Socio-economic factors
The most critical socio-economic pressure on people
who live in drylands is often simply basic survival (i.e.
obtaining enough food to eat, or the small amount of
cash needed for critical purchases). Population growth
can compound the challenge. This often leads to over-
stocking of domestic livestock or, more generally,
overuse of resources. The quest for respect, power or a
suffi cient dowry or resources for marriage (based on
animal ownership) can also be a factor. Ignorance or
10.2.2
Administrative factors
Tenure (ownership or use rights) plays an important
role in management decision making in drylands
(Bainbridge 2007a). While in some areas tenure rights
may be very clear, with known boundaries and legal
documents supported by courts and law or cultural
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