Impacts of rural land degradation on Sahel

Question 1

Loss of fertile topsoil

Answer 1

loss of fertile topsoil because of water or wind erosion, leads to the land being unable to support vegetation

Question 2

Crop failures and livestock death

Answer 2

crops failures/death of livestock, leads to reduced food supply.
Results in malnutrition and famine which in turn can negatively impact child development

Question 3

Rural migration

Answer 3

large scale rural migration results in overcrowded urban areas in the south of the
Sahel, causes more pressure on the growth of informal settlements

Question 4

Collapse of nomadic life

Answer 4

the collapse of the nomadic way of life due to the lack of grazing and water, forces many nomads to settle in villages increasing pressure/tension in
these areas

Question 5

Poor crop yields

Answer 5

farmers lose their income because of poor crop yields meaning they can no longer afford to pay for their basic needs, such as schooling

Question 6

Conflict over…

Answer 6

conflict over limited land/resources as people are forced to move and
re-settle ― growth of large refugee camps e.g. Darfur

Question 7

International aid

Answer 7

some Sahelian countries are becoming increasingly reliant on international aid to gain access to food and water impacting development as debt
repayments are high

Question 8

Southward expansion

Answer 8

desertification has become so severe that it has led to the southward expansion
of the Sahara Desert into the Sahel