The Danger of Desertification

The Danger of Desertification
Trees are an important way to protect farmland. Transcript of radio broadcast:
07 April 2008

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Desertification is a process. It changes productive land into useless land. One example of desertification is when a desert spreads into nearby cropland. In time, the cropland becomes an extension of the desert.

But that is not the only way farmers lose fertile soil.

Long dry periods, warmer temperatures and the removal of trees can all lead to the loss of good cropland. Floods can remove fertile topsoil and begin a process resulting in the loss of planting areas.

Another danger to good land is poor farming methods. Farmers should avoid continually planting crops in the same places, or letting animals feed year after year on the same lands.

Countries from Guatemala to Greece to Vietnam are working against the loss of cropland. Africa especially faces the risk of desertification.

Nigeria, for example, says it loses three hundred fifty thousand hectares of usable land each year. Hills of sand now cover places where people once lived.

When cropland turns to desert, people move to other places for better land and better jobs. This migration can cause political and social tensions.

A nonprofit organization in Nigeria is working to bring public attention to the problem. The group is called Fighting Against Desert Encroachment, or FADE.

Newton Jibunoh is a retired soil engineer who started this group in the year two thousand. He says desert encroachment could cause widespread hunger.

Newton Jibunoh is currently leading a delegation to thirteen African countries to discuss the dangers of losing farmlands. In northern Nigeria, the group organized a competition between schools in seven areas. The goal was to see who could plant the most trees.

Trees are often cut down for fuel wood. But lines of trees around cropland can catch blowing sand. In addition, tree roots can hold soil in place. Even within a desert, trees can be planted as borders around grassy areas.

For many years, China has been building a wall of trees in the northern part of the country. The goal is to stop the Gobi Desert from extending toward Beijing. The Great Green Wall will extend about five thousand kilometers. Completion is expected in two thousand fifty.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. For more stories about agriculture, go to voaspecialenglish.com for transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our reports. I’m Bob Doughty.

----------------------------Google Translate

危险的荒漠化
树是一个重要途径，以保护耕地的积极性。全文电台广播：
2008年4月7日

这是美国之音特别英语农业部报告。

荒漠化是一个过程。它改变了肥沃的土地变成无用的土地。其中一个例子是荒漠化的时候，沙漠蔓延到附近农田。在当时，农田变成了一个扩展的沙漠。

但是，这并非唯一途径，农民失去了肥沃的土壤。

长期干旱时期，气温和清除树木都可以导致丧失好耕地。洪水可以消除肥沃的表土，并开始一个进程，造成损失的种植面积。

另一种危险，以良好的土地是穷人的耕作方法。农民应避免不断种植作物，在同一地方，或让动物饲料年复一年地对同一土地上。

国家，从危地马拉到希腊来越南工作，对损失的耕地。特别是非洲面临的风险荒漠化。

尼日利亚，例如说，它失去350000公顷可用的土地，每年的。山上的沙子现在覆盖的地方，人们曾经生活。

当耕地变成沙漠，人们迁往其他地方，为更好的土地和更好的就业机会。这种迁移可能造成的政治和社会紧张局势。

一个非营利组织在尼日利亚工作，使公众注意这个问题。该集团是所谓的反沙漠侵蚀，或褪色。

牛顿jibunoh是一位退休工程师，土壤开始这个小组在一年2000 。他说，沙漠侵蚀可引起广泛的饥饿。

牛顿jibunoh目前正率领一个代表团到13个非洲国家商讨的危险失去农地。在尼日利亚北部，该集团组织了一个竞争与学校之间在七个方面。目标是要看谁能够植物最树木。

树木往往缩减为薪柴。但线路的树木周围的农田能赶上扬沙。此外，树木的根须能容纳土壤到位。即使在一个沙漠，树木可以种植作为边界周围的草地地区。

多年来，中国一直在建设围墙的树，在该国北部地区。目的是阻止沙漠戈壁，从伸向北京。伟大的绿墙将延续约5000公里。完成后，预计在2000百分之五十。

这也是该美国之音特别英语农业部报告，写jerilyn沃森。更多的故事，农业，去voaspecialenglish.com誊本， MP3和播客我们的报告。我鲍勃奥尔布赖特在强悍。