Desertification in Argentina: The Causes and Effects on Human Beings

Abstract

Desertification is land degradation in arid, semiarid and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities. In Argentina, 75% of the territory is classified as arid, semiarid and dry sub-humid lands, which are called drylands. The main objectives in this study were the selection of the most useful tools and approaches involving biophysical and socioeconomic analysis and the adjustment and validation of this assessment to obtain an accurate diagnosis of desertification processes at the national, regional and local scales. By working in a Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands (LADA) project, we have been improving the land degradation assessment of Argentine over several years. This study used Argentina’s historical research and capacity building from different institutions in the Northwest, West-Central and Patagonia regions. We selected a variety of tools and robust methodologies that allowed us to integrate all of the biophysical and socioeconomic factors and processes involved in the complex problem of desertification. Workshops, desk work, and field work were performed in an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary task force that combined the knowledge of experts and local inhabitants. A variety of very important results were obtained through this multidisciplinary research, including the recognition of the degrees of desertification, the assessment of rates and the identification of trends in the evaluated processes. In addition, an important database was built and integrated, and networking and communications were developed at the national, regional and local scales. The proper response to desertification phenomena must be elaborated through the consistent measurement of the adequate indices designed to evaluate long-term ecosystem changes. Responses need to be guided by consistently measuring indicators of long-term ecosystem changes. The proper diagnosis allows the adoption of appropriate sustainable land management (SLM) practices and measures. The main categories and types used in the different pilot sites were ① agronomic measures such as mixed cropping, contour cultivation, and mulching; ② vegetative measures such as grass strips, hedge barriers, windbreaks, and agroforestry; ③ structural measures such as terraces, banks, bunds, constructions, and palisades; ④ management measures such as land use change, rotational grazing, and area closure.