Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4
Libya: Reversal of Land Degradation
and Desertification Through Better Land
Management
Ali Mansour Saad, Noresah Mohd Shariff, and Sanjay Gariola
Synopsis
This chapter characterizes desertification in Libya, summarizes its causes
and outlines efforts to combat desertification. The need to mainstream sustainable
land management into land use planning is highlighted.
Key Points
•
Libya is characterized by a desert type environment and more than 95 %
of the country is desert or semi-desert. The processes of desertification have
been aggravated by human activities coupled with climatic conditions. This
intensification of desertification is believed to affect regional as well as global
climate. Currently, desertification is one of the main environmental issues in
Libya affecting environment and its resources.
•
Among others, overexploitation of natural resources, inappropriate land use
planning, insufficient water resources etc. are the main factors escalating the pro-
cess of desertification and deteriorating environmental quality. Mainstreaming
sustainable land management into land use planning has been considered a viable
solution to moderate the effects of desertification and rampant usages of natural
resources. However, this requires quantifying the severity of desertification by
means of identified causative factor.
•
Development of indicators of desertification process by means of using temporal
satellite data coupled with ancillary data need to be attempted to establish a
monitoring system to manage desertification in more sensitive areas. Moreover,
environmental and livelihood implications of increasing desertification need to
be addressed in order to promote regional economic sustainable development.
•
Efforts to combat desertification began in the early 1960s, serious measures
have been taken to combat desertification in Libya by the best possible means.
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