As already discussed in previous articles, the main alternative sources of water are desalination, reuse of wastewater and recovery of contaminated aquifers. These new water sources are potentially of sufficient quality for many different uses, ranging from human consumption to industrial and agricultural processes, thereby helping on many fronts to develop the populations living in areas suffering from desertification.
In the agricultural and rural development sectors, we need to weigh up agro-environmental measures that will enable us to prevent and mitigate processes of land degradation, including incentives to encourage the forestation of marginal areas not suitable for agricultural uses.
In the forestry sector, we urgently need to restore plant cover, manage our forests sustainably, combat fires and roll out actions to defend and protect woodland.
Furthermore, proper management of water resources is pivotal in the fight against desertification. The arrival of new water resources that help prevent the over-exploitation of natural resources is a guarantee of success for the preceding measures. Similarly, rolling out the measures needed to recover over-exploited or contaminated aquifers, coupled with the creation of new resources, will certainly help in the fight against desertification by fostering the recovery of existing natural resources and helping to maintain populations and use of farming land.
Combating desertification, one of the many adverse phenomena undermining local development and plaguing many regions around the world, is essential to ensuring the genuinely sustainable development of arid and semi-arid land and preventing migration and increased pressure on other areas, and also requires proper management of agricultural and water resources.
This daunting task must be a global commitment to be undertaken by institutions and the population as a whole, and requires coordinated leadership among countries. What other measures do you consider appropriate?
