Dealing with risk and uncertainty in Africa's Drylands: The social dimensions of desertification

Abstract

There are multiple causes of desertification which operate on many levels, from the way in which land is used in a farmer's field, through the impact of land tenure regulations and agricultural pricing policy at the national level, to global factors, such as world trade conditions and global warming. Desertification is also linked to the larger social processes, (such as the monetization of local economies, population growth, and urbanization) that create push and pull factors influencing resource use.