Desertification is considered to be one of the most complex criticisms among the environmental studies, political, social and economic studes of recent decades. The concept has evolved over the years in an attempt to define a process that, starting from prolonged periods of drought in the Sahel, has become a global problem. It is defined in terms of loss of soil fertility and reducing agricultural productivity, it's interesting, to date, all latitudes, highlighting the vulnerability of the territory. It's the same concept of vulnerability that, together with that of risk makes it necessary to adopt strategies of environmental protection against desertification. About the biological productivity of the soil, the UN Conference in Nairobi 1977th, has adopted a definition that applies regardless of the location of the affected areas, their climatic characteristics, the causes and processes behind the phenomenon. The UNCCD, which took over the concept defined in terms of land degradation, establishes its territorial area in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid, including among the causes of climatic variations and human activities. Man becomes the main cause of desertification, taking responsibility for the current state of health of the territory. The common denominator between areas subject to desertification, is the progressive reduction of the surface layer of soil and, by implication, its production capacity. On the utilitarian concept of productivity environment, man has built a modern relationship with the environment by making the exploitation of resources, in choosing not only land use type and of the settlement, but of his population growth. Among the affected countries themselves, these processes are driven by different lifestyles and dissimilar levels of complexity that evolve and change depending on the opportunities and constraints offered by natural resources, as well as the socio-economic conditions. The effects of desertification, however, have an impact on a global scale directly on agriculture, limiting the effectiveness of territorial organization and the relationship between man and environment, indirectly, not less, interested in broader issues, not only environmental, but also social, institutional and economic. The cost of desertification, according to the World Bank, is approximately 42 billion dollars a year, measured as total loss of income. The process makes you feel its effects, particularly on the primary sector, driving the economies of many regions affected. In the Mediterranean basin areas at risk are increased by 40% in the century just ended, affecting 65% of farmland. The last state of desertified area does not help, however, to understand its complexity, triggered and maintained by a combination of phenomena, which produce different effects in different degraded areas. Poor farming techniques, deforestation, urbanization, over-grazing and fires continue to increase the impact and the surface areas at risk of desertification, whose measurements, therefore, should be conducted on a regional scale, since the local agro-systems constitute an important structural component, not only environmental and economic, but primarily territorial and landscape.
La desertificazione è considerata una delle criticità più complesse tra gli studi ambientali, politici, sociali ed economici degli ultimi decenni. Il concetto si è evoluto nel corso degli anni, nel tentativo di definire un processo che, partendo dai prolungati periodi di siccità del Sahel, si è trasformato in un problema globale. Essa, definita in termini di perdita di fertilità del suolo e riduzione della produttività agricola, interessa, ad oggi, tutte le latitudini evidenziando la vulnerabilità del territorio. È lo stesso concetto di vulnerabilità che, insieme a quello di rischio, rende necessario adottare strategie di tutela ambientale nei confronti della desertificazione. Sulla produttività biologica del suolo, la Conferenza delle Nazioni Unite, nel 1977a Nairobi, ha adottato una definizione che prescinde dalla collocazione geografica delle aree colpite, dalle loro caratteristiche climatiche, dalle cause e dai processi all’origine del fenomeno. La UNCCD, che ha ripreso il concetto definendolo in termini di degrado delle terre, stabilisce il suo ambito territoriale nelle aree aride, semi-aride e sub-umide secche, inserendo tra le sue cause azioni antropiche e variazioni climatiche. L’uomo diventa la principale causa di desertificazione, assumendosi la responsabilità dell’attuale stato di salute del territorio. Il comune denominatore, tra aree soggette a desertificazione, è la progressiva riduzione dello strato superficiale di suolo e, implicitamente, della sua capacità produttiva. Sul concetto utilitaristico di produttività ambientale, l’uomo ha costruito il suo moderno rapporto con l’ambiente rendendo, lo sfruttamento delle risorse, basilare nella scelta non solo dell’uso del suolo e dell’indice di insediamento, ma della sua stessa crescita demografica. Fra gli stessi Paesi Affetti, tali processi sono determinati da differenti stili di vita e dissimili livelli di complessità, che si evolvono e si modificano a seconda delle opportunità e dei vincoli offerti dalle risorse naturali, oltre che dalle condizioni socio-economiche. Gli effetti della desertificazione, tuttavia, si ripercuotono su scala globale direttamente sul settore agricolo, limitatone l’efficacia dell’organizzazione territoriale ed il rapporto uomo-ambiente; indirettamente, non di meno, interessano questioni più ampie, non solo di tipo ambientale, ma anche sociale, istituzionale ed economico. Il costo della desertificazione, secondo la Banca Mondiale, è di circa 42 miliardi di dollari l’anno, misurato come perdita globale di reddito. Il processo fa sentire i suoi effetti soprattutto sul settore primario, trainante delle economie di molte regioni colpite. Nel Bacino del Mediterraneo le aree a rischio sono aumentate del 40% nel secolo appena concluso, interessando il 65% delle aree agricole. Lo stato ultimo di un’area desertificata non aiuta, tuttavia, a comprenderne la sua complessità, innescata ed alimentata da una combinazione di fenomeni, che producono effetti diversi nelle diverse aree degradate. Le cattive tecniche di coltivazione, la deforestazione, l’urbanizzazione, il sovra pascolo e gli incendi continuano ad aumentare l’impatto e la superficie delle aree a rischio desertificazione, le cui misurazioni, quindi, devono effettuarsi su scala regionale, poiché gli agrosistemi locali costituiscono una componente strutturale importante, non solo ambientale ed economica, ma principalmente territoriale e paesaggistica.
La Desertificazione
RONCONI, Maria Luisa
2010-01-01
Abstract
Desertification is considered to be one of the most complex criticisms among the environmental studies, political, social and economic studes of recent decades. The concept has evolved over the years in an attempt to define a process that, starting from prolonged periods of drought in the Sahel, has become a global problem. It is defined in terms of loss of soil fertility and reducing agricultural productivity, it's interesting, to date, all latitudes, highlighting the vulnerability of the territory. It's the same concept of vulnerability that, together with that of risk makes it necessary to adopt strategies of environmental protection against desertification. About the biological productivity of the soil, the UN Conference in Nairobi 1977th, has adopted a definition that applies regardless of the location of the affected areas, their climatic characteristics, the causes and processes behind the phenomenon. The UNCCD, which took over the concept defined in terms of land degradation, establishes its territorial area in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid, including among the causes of climatic variations and human activities. Man becomes the main cause of desertification, taking responsibility for the current state of health of the territory. The common denominator between areas subject to desertification, is the progressive reduction of the surface layer of soil and, by implication, its production capacity. On the utilitarian concept of productivity environment, man has built a modern relationship with the environment by making the exploitation of resources, in choosing not only land use type and of the settlement, but of his population growth. Among the affected countries themselves, these processes are driven by different lifestyles and dissimilar levels of complexity that evolve and change depending on the opportunities and constraints offered by natural resources, as well as the socio-economic conditions. The effects of desertification, however, have an impact on a global scale directly on agriculture, limiting the effectiveness of territorial organization and the relationship between man and environment, indirectly, not less, interested in broader issues, not only environmental, but also social, institutional and economic. The cost of desertification, according to the World Bank, is approximately 42 billion dollars a year, measured as total loss of income. The process makes you feel its effects, particularly on the primary sector, driving the economies of many regions affected. In the Mediterranean basin areas at risk are increased by 40% in the century just ended, affecting 65% of farmland. The last state of desertified area does not help, however, to understand its complexity, triggered and maintained by a combination of phenomena, which produce different effects in different degraded areas. Poor farming techniques, deforestation, urbanization, over-grazing and fires continue to increase the impact and the surface areas at risk of desertification, whose measurements, therefore, should be conducted on a regional scale, since the local agro-systems constitute an important structural component, not only environmental and economic, but primarily territorial and landscape.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
