Combating desertification in Africa

Abstract

During the last decade, the international community was aroused to the problems of drought management and desertification control by the severity of the five year Sahelian drought from 1968-1973. Over 150, 000 people millions of cattle and other livestock perished in the region. More recently, drought has reappeared in Africa, with increasing intensity since 1978, in Sudano-Sahelian region, the Ogaden Penisula as well as in southern Africa near the Kalahari Desert region. As a result of the severity of the Sahelian drought in Africa and the massive mobilization of resources by the international and community to alleviate the suffering of the drought victims, the General Assembly, in resolution 3337(XXIX) of 1974, called for an international conference to plan for a long-term co-ordinated programme to combat desertification. This paper deals with the constraints and the efforts made at all levels so far, the economic considerations, and the need for technical co-operation to solve this long-term problem.