The United Nations Conference on Desertification was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 1977 to address the growing issue of desertification, particularly in West Africa which was experiencing a severe drought and loss of life. At the conference, desertification was defined as the diminution or destruction of land's biological potential that can lead to desert-like conditions. Over 500 delegates from 94 countries attended to discuss questions around the causes and impacts of desertification, as well as what actions could be taken to mitigate its effects. The conference led different countries to pursue various approaches to combat desertification within their own borders.

1. The United Nations Conference on Desertification (Nairobi,1977)

2. Goals for the Slide cast -This Slide cast is intended to provide a fruitful experience for the listener, expanding on what desertification is as well as delve into what happened at the UN conference in Nairobi -Buckle in it should be a fun ride

3. That’s great, so what is it? The term desertification refers to the degradation of land in humid areas. The process of desertification remains to be a issue due to human interference as well as climate interference.

4. Back to Basics

5. Impacts:

6. Prehistoric History of Desertification:

7. History of Desertification: Desertification is also effecting the People’s Republic of China, a major part of the rural population have been settling on farm land, even importing European cattle. The people of China are occupying more and more of the land which could lead to the inevitable desertification. Tropical forests are greatly reduced as the slash and burn tactics are being implemented, for example, in Madagascar, the countries land is becoming more barren. In the Rio Puerco Basin in central New Mexico has been eroding has a result of overgrazing. Desertification has had a profound effect on the past, creating some of the most distinguished landmarks on Earth. In the 1930s, overgrazing and to a lesser extent drought shaped some of the Great Plains in the United States to the “Dust Bowl”. These severe dust storms were not only a product of drought but of over farming as well. If the proper crop rotation is not put into effect the land will become difficult to maintain a successful harvest. Lesser developed countries may have a difficult time adjusting to these issues as a result of their dependants on agriculture and a lack of resources to defend against such a threat.

8. Connections between: Poverty Deforestation

9. Countering Desertification: As desertification becomes more of an issue, a larger amount of people are more aware of the issue. Some countries has been developing Biodiversity Actions Plans to combat the effects of desertification. Endangered flora and fauna were a top priority for some of those countries. Many organizations educate the population in order to reduce over farming.

11. This loss of life was due to a massive drought that hindered the regions development

12. A loss of livestock and widespread environmental deterioration also occurred

13. At the time of the conference Nairobi saw a plentiful amount of rain and a large quantity of puddles filled the streets

14. Prior to the conference many issues were at hand

15. The southern margin of the Sahara has witnessed five years of uninterrupted drought

17. Was the Sahelian drought evidence of vast changes in the global climate?

18. Was the Sahara expanding towards the south?

19. What were the implications of countries who were directly involved?

20. What is the impact on the international community?

22. The conference describes desertification as:

24. The Conference effected all of the participating countries differently

25. The People’s Republic of China, for example, had its policy makers shift their attention to the barren landscapes. Improving research to make the land healthy again. Chinese politics now after witnessing the destructive nature of desertification first hand viewed the issue as a top priority

26. The Soviet Union took a different approach. Their State Committee for Science and Technology established international training courses. These courses were implemented to discover ways to combat the harsh effects of desertification

27. As for the United States and other countries, many different plan of actions were put into effect, making desertification and issue worth trying to solve

28. Attending the Conference was over 500 delegates from over 94 countries

30. Conclusion

31. THE END

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