Drought and Desertification with Respect to Rangelands and Measures to

Combat – A Review

Muhammad Ahmad (05) M.Sc. Forestry 2nd Semester

Abstract:

Climate change, drought, and desertification all have interrelated consequences that are felt
most acutely by people who rely on natural resources as a source of income. Given the
likelihood of an increase in extreme weather events in Southern Africa, it's vital to examine
how institutional structures and national policy instruments have supported or impeded
family and community-level responses. The yearly desertification rate is 1.3 percent, based
on a rate of plant degradation of 17,937 hectares per year. The main objective of this paper is
to study drought effects, desertification and major threats they are imposing on bio’s
depending on the natural resources which are not under proper management. In the end of
this paper suggestion based on the review of research are given. Education and govt.
involvement is very important in combating this spreading evil of drought and desertification
in the rangelands. Due to shortage of time little time will be enough, if proper measures
should be taken into account. Moreover, agroforestry and other natural solutions should be
promoted. We achieved the objectives to find enough about this alarming problem. Research
is progressing but at the same time population is also progressing, so we can control it but
cannot revers it.

Introduction:

Past rangeland research, modelling, and extension operations have focused on drought and
climate change. Drought and climate change reduce water resources and stress forage growth,
worsening other challenges. This work is vital to the long-term viability of ranching and food
production (e.g., human health, financial strains)(Dinan et al., 2021). For example, the United
States experienced 26 significant drought occurrences between 1980 and 2019, each costing
more than $1 billion. These occurrences cost the United States at least $249 billion in total.
Climate change will have a significant influence on agricultural production operations by
increasing the frequency, magnitude, and intensity of drought events(Smart et al., 2021).
Farmers and Ranchers are among the most vulnerable to drought catastrophes, and their
planting habits and knowledge will have variable effects on the area drought risk level.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), increasing land
evapotranspiration has led to increases in agricultural and ecological droughts caused by
human-induced global warming(Agroecosystems, 2016). Rangelands as ecosystems are
landforms that are unsuitable for extensive agriculture or forestry due to climate, soils, or
topographic constraints. Livestock grazing is the traditional major usage of all rangelands
across the world. As one moves out from the villages, the deterioration gradient becomes
more pronounced(Kelley, Scasta and Derner, 2016). Furthermore, local inhabitants' fuel
wood collecting and rain-fed arable cultivation led in degradation of the vulnerable dry
rangelands. The rangeland plains of Iran have been badly deteriorated as a result of
inappropriate usage and drought. Many rangeland communities have already abandoned their
homes in search of work. Droughts in rangeland regions can cause lower growth rates,
defoliation, and increased stress on plants, with associated ecological, economic, and social
consequences. Droughts can be brought on by a decrease in precipitation or a rise in
temperature. These "hot droughts" limit water supplies by increasing evaporation and
hastening the melting of snow and ice(Mirdeilami et al., 2019). Plants increase their need for
water during droughts by increasing evapotranspiration and lengthening their growth seasons.
Droughts can diminish vegetation productivity, but droughts can influence vegetation as well.
Deep-rooted perennials, for example, store more soil organic carbon than annual grasses
(such as the invasive cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum)(Velpuri, Senay and Morisette, 2015).
Cheatgrass expands and diminishes the soil's ability to store organic carbon, lowering the
soil's water-holding capacity and consequently the system's tolerance to drought.
Furthermore, because cheatgrass spreads fire faster than perennial grasses and fire can
stimulate the spread of invasive species, this can create a positive feedback loop for fire and
invasive species transmission. Drought can accelerate the spread of fire and alien species by
drying up fuels and putting stress on native vegetation. The advantages that rangelands
provide to society are called rangeland ecosystem services(Breshears et al., 2016). They
include services that contribute to climatic stability, agricultural pest management, and air
and water purification, as well as the supply of food, timber, and medicinal resources. The
main objective of this review is to know the drought and desertification impact on rangeland
vegetation and the response of vegetation and also the measure to combat it by local people
and Government(Darkoh, 2018).

Major threats and economic contributions:

Climate change, drought, and desertification all have interconnected effects that are felt most
intensely by those who rely on natural resources for their livelihood. Given the expected rise
in extreme weather occurrences in Southern Africa, it's critical to analyze how institutional
structures and national policy instruments have aided or hampered family and community-
level responses. Another well-known and significant cause of plant cover change is drought.
It's critical for policymakers to distinguish between drought-affected vegetation and that
decreased by grazing, because recognizing the wrong source of vegetation change can lead to
the adoption of ineffective policies(Accatino et al., 2017). Desertification is still progressing
at a constant rate, despite the fact that anti-desertification programs have had minimal
success. Climate change will have a significant influence on agricultural production
operations by increasing the frequency, magnitude, and intensity of drought events. Farmers
are among the most vulnerable to drought catastrophes, and their planting habits and
knowledge will have variable effects on the area drought risk level(Knutson and Fuchs,
2016). Climate change, overgrazing, bush encroachment, population pressure, drought,
government policies, encroachment of rain-fed agriculture, and the demise of traditional
resource management institutions are all key factors contributing to rangeland degradation.
Rangeland degradation has resulted in significant drops in rangeland quality, water potential,
soil status, and animal performance, as well as family livestock holdings and communal
poverty. Food insecurity, poverty to the point of needing food help, aridity expansion, and the
necessity for alternate livelihood and income diversification are all consequences of
rangeland degradation(Guo et al., 2022). It has also contributed to rising poverty and tribal
disputes over grazing land and water resources. Despite these consequences, the country's
adoption of alternative restoration strategies is woefully inadequate(Macon et al., 2016).
There is an urgent need to significantly expand investments and enhance policy support for
sustainable land management to solve rangeland degradation issues. Rangeland degradation
due to drought and desertification has become a growing threat to pastoral production
systems, resulting in significant declines in rangeland condition, water potential, soil status,
and animal performance, as well as livestock holding at the household level, which leads to
food insecurity, poverty to the point of requiring food assistance, and the need for alternative
livelihood income and diversification(Guo et al., 2022). Despite the detrimental
consequences of rangeland degradation, maintaining healthy rangeland ecosystems remains a
problem. Rangelands are deteriorating at an alarming rate, making future restoration
impossible(Derner and Augustine, 2016). As a result, research and development should
concentrate on developing sustainable rangeland enterprises as well as techniques for
reducing rangeland disturbance and restoring stressed or dysfunctional rangelands.
Suggested measures

Attending a session co-hosted by climate, cattle, crop, range, and economic CES educators
and scientists may be the best approach for full-time ranchers to learn about adaptation
possibilities. Asynchronous communication methods may be the only available ways to learn
for ranchers who work a second job(Brown et al., 2017). Due to disparities in rural internet
availability and capacity, web-based solutions will be more beneficial in certain places than
others. Because time is limited, solutions for assisting ranchers in adapting to climate change
must be devised in such a way that even little time expenditures may result in significant
increases in resilience. Remember that maintaining rancher livelihoods provides a common
pathway for addressing varied audiences when developing the messaging for these
products(Scasta, Weir and Stambaugh, 2016). Changes in markets, rangeland plant
communities, and the human communities in which ranchers live must all be tracked and
responded to as part of the adaptation process. It is critical to include these individuals early
in the study creation and implementation process. Researchers must, however, stay open
about the uncertainty of their models and invest in alternative ways to fill in the gaps left by
model flaws(Martínez-Valderrama et al., 2021). In particular, it is necessary to reflect on
activities connected to UN environmental agreements to ensure that policies promote the
maintenance of local adaptations and aid in the resilience of socio-economic and
environmental systems. To minimize vulnerability and promote resilience, we suggest that
they must be placed within a more integrated development context that spans policy
sectors(Le Houérou, 1996). Without additional integration, the risk of contradictions and
duplications, which squander already scarce resources, will rise. An adaptation space might
be a good method of conceptualizing such integration, with the added benefit of addressing
other important challenges. However, policy procedures at the national and regional levels
are dependent on the political structures and governance regimes of those in power, so this
will not be easy(Stringer et al., 2009). Desertification may most likely be avoided and healed
in developed countries by law. In this regard, Australian legislation (for example, long-term
leases of state-owned property subject to monitoring) might serve as a model. The Taylor
Grazing Act, passed in 1934, just after the dust bowl, resulted in significant improvements to
public rangelands in the United States(Dregne, 1986). Desertification may be avoided and
treated in emerging nations if population growth was reduced and other sectors of the
economy could absorb the surplus of dry-land people, which is often not the case(Oladipo,
1993). Moreover, we know that people of rangelands are with very little resources. So, the
Govt. should subsidize in everything. And the varieties with resilient species by long research
should be applied. Tenure system should be solved on trust bases. New markets and
preservation of germ plasm should be made possible(Pringle and Landsberg, 2004).

Conclusion:

Drought and desertification is one of the most deteriorating natural and climatic disasters,
impacting millions of people. Climate change is the primary cause of drought. However,
Research and other related models could be used to find early solution for this particular
problem. Education and facilities can play major role in combating these situations.
Population increases with lack of sensitive behavior and no thinking about its future
generation just exploiting resources in most cruel way. In lack of research this study can help
reduce the gap between different factors to combat same situation. So, Govt and NGO.s
should step up for this global problem. Drought victims can employ a number of adaptations
to cope with the drought if they have enough knowledge, and public reactions are crucial.

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