desertification
Credit: ILRI/Flickr
Reviving ancient practices to combat desertification in Jordan
Communities in Jordan are successfully using the ancient practice of hima to combat overgrazing and desertification, revitalizing local ecosystems and traditions.
In short:
- Hima, an ancient land-management practice, is being revived in Jordan to combat overgrazing and desertification, resulting in a significant increase in plant biomass and biodiversity.
- The rotational grazing system protects certain areas, allowing them to recover, which benefits both the environment and local shepherds.
- International conservation organizations are looking to scale up this culturally integrated approach across the Middle East.
Key quote:
"Our religion tells us that whoever plants a tree—and an animal, a bird, or a person eats from it, or takes shade in it, or lives in it—then he has good deeds, and his reward is with God."
— Emad al-Alimat, Bedouin shepherd
Why this matters:
Reviving hima not only restores ecosystems but also supports local communities, blending conservation with cultural and religious traditions, and offering a sustainable model for land management in arid regions. Read more: Climate, justice, and the deep roots of regenerative farming.
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Credit: Nicholas_Demetriades/Pixabay
Brazil's semi-arid farmers hope for government intervention to combat desertification
Small farmers in Brazil's semi-arid region struggle with land degradation due to climate change and past government neglect, but the new administration aims to prioritize land restoration and seek international funding.
Giovanna Carneiro and Inácio França report for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- Farmers in northeastern Brazil face severe desertification from climate change, poor land management, and government neglect.
- The new administration under President Lula plans to revive efforts to combat desertification and seek international funding.
- Faulty irrigation systems have exacerbated soil salinization, further threatening agricultural viability.
Key quote:
“Desertification is, in fact, a consequence of climate change; they are linked.”
— Alexandre Pires, head of the Desertification Combat Department of the Ministry of the Environment
Why this matters:
Desertification threatens the livelihoods of millions in Brazil, exacerbating poverty and food insecurity. There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. The new administration has pledged to prioritize land restoration, recognizing the urgent need to reverse the damage done. This commitment marks a significant shift in policy, aiming to address the long-standing environmental issues that have plagued the region.
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Photo by Halima Bouchouicha on Unsplash
Climate change laying healthy African land to waste
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification has concluded that over 100 football pitches worth of healthy land is lost every minute in Africa.
El rincón de Los Vélez/Flickr
Battling desertification: Bringing soil back to life in semiarid Spain
Meet the rural farmers in southeastern Spain fighting the encroaching Sahara Desert through regenerative agriculture and landscape restoration.
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Photo by Kier in Sight Archives on Unsplash
Climate change in Iraq: A warning for the rest of the world
Once a verdant and fertile land, even as recently as the 1980s, Iraq becomes more arid each year as desertification spreads.
Water Alternatives Photos/Flickr/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/Credit: François Molle/IRD
Spain, facing a future of drought, turns to medieval solutions
Acequias, a network of water channels created by the Moors over 1,000 years ago, are being excavated and brought back to life to adapt to the crises of climate change.
Alexander Gerst/Flickr/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ID: 401R9190Credit: ESA/A.Gerst, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
‘Swallowed by the sand’: Somalia’s coastal towns succumb to the desert
As deforestation removes protection from the ferocious winds, compounding damage from climate crisis-driven drought, sand dunes are burying the medieval port of Hobyo. Will pledges to green the desert save communities already displaced by war?
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