Agriculture as major land degradation and desertification driver in drylands

Abstract:

From its origins, the concept of desertification has been controversial. The prevailing confusion between two desertification visions, one that considers it as the expansion of deserts and another that denotes its anthropogenic component, has been transferred to society and has often precluded focusing on its main drivers. Agriculture is a fundamental economic activity in drylands, which host more than 40% of global croplands. Albeit often ignored in the public debates about desertification, agriculture is a major force driving land degradation in many drylands worldwide. Here we use different case studies to illustrate how commonly used agricultural practices and policies are fostering unsustainable water consumption levels and promoting the desertification of many dryland areas worldwide. We will also discuss the need to go beyond the commonly used vegetation indices and to explicitly monitor groundwater use when assessing dryland desertification. Doing so is crucial to detect its main drivers and to propose management actions to achieve a more sustainable use of resources and to combat desertification across global drylands.