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The desert is not
an organism that spread its tentacles to swallow up land and objects in
its path. This is the image we generally have of the desert when we
speak of the advance or spreading of the Sahara Desert. The process by
which an area becomes a desert is known as desertification. This
process can happen in an area that is not contiguous to an existing
desert. In other words, an area that is not close to an existing desert
can become one through the process of desertification.

Desertification is
one of the key environmental challenges facing Nigeria and indeed all
of sub-Saharan Africa. It has been estimated that the desert area is
increasing at the rate of more than half a kilometre every year, and
that about 35 million Nigerians are directly affected by this menace.
Eleven states in Nigeria, sometimes called the frontline states, are
under threat of desertification. These states include Bauchi, Borno,
Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, and parts of
Gombe, and Jigawa.

Obviously, the
problem of desertification has global implications and that is why we
have the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
that was launched in 1994 and became operational three years later.
Although a majority of nations have ratified the convention, only a
handful have undertaken programmes towards the attainment of its
objectives. For example, Nigeria took steps in this direction in 2001
when the National Action Programme (NAP) on desertification was
launched. Nigeria also has a number of other initiatives: National
Grains Reserve Programme; Drought Management Policy; Desert-to-Food
Policy; and the National Desertification Policy. A question that comes
to mind is how well are these policies and programmes being run?

Generally,
Nigeria’s most visible actions to fight desertification have largely
been about organising yearly tree planting exercises. The planting of
trees is a good step and should be encouraged. The sad fact is that
tree planting alone is not enough to stop desertification from taking
place.

We must look at the
factors that encourage desertification. Without much investigation, it
is obvious that global warming has a major impact on this process.
Other factors include bush burning, inappropriate grazing, and poor
irrigation systems.

Going back to the
contribution of global warming to this phenomenon informs us that
Nigeria faces a peculiar risk of being swallowed up by two migrating
forces – water from rising sea levels, and sand from increased
desertification. Some of the impacts of global warming include droughts
as well as freak rains. Even with the unpredictable rainfall patterns,
Northern Nigeria still has much less rain than the South. The lack of
rain directly encourages desertification, as already stated. Along the
coastal fringe of Nigeria, the big challenge is that of sea level rise.
When we talk of sea level rise, it is vital to keep in mind that the
Niger Delta, for example, is a naturally subsiding environment. With
this in mind, it has been estimated that if a net sea level rise of one
metre occurs, up to 100 kilometres from the Atlantic shore will go
under water.

The implication of
this is that our economy, food systems, security, and livelihoods are
severely threatened by the impacts of global warming. This is an issue
that should be taken as a serious matter of emergency and should be
tackled holistically, and not by seasonal, episodic responses.

One of the most
visible issues relating to desertification in Nigeria is the shrinkage
of Lake Chad. This lake has shrunk by up to 90% since the past 50 years
and we can suggest here that the fortunes of Lake Chad should be taken
as a measure of progress made by our country since political
independence was attained 50 years ago. Lake Chad has shrunk from an
area of 25,000 square kilometres to a paltry 1,500 square kilometres.
Experts believe that at its present rate of shrinkage, Lake Chad may
become dry land within the next 20 years.

The drying up of
Lake Chad and other water bodies is not a mere geographic reality. It
means increasing loss of livelihood, increasing water scarcity, and a
veritable pusher of poverty. Moreover, the drying of the lake and
persisting desertification portend staggering prospects for our nation.
With the understanding that the Sahara is not “marching” but that
desertification occurs autonomously, we can take steps to halt this
process that allows sands to swallow our land.

The implication of
the drying of Lake Chad is already obvious in the displacement of
fishermen, pastoralists, and others who depend on its water. The future
is bleak, unless the root causes of this phenomenon is tackled. It may
even be the case that the recurring land crises in the middle belt can
be traced to the environment displacement of populations in these areas
and the religious colouration may well be convenient cover for
perpetrators of intolerance.

We repeat here that
mere trees cannot stop desertification. Indeed, the trees we plant
require enormous amounts of water to thrive, although we can use
drought resistant species. You can imagine how much land cover can be
achieved by simply planting drought resistant shrubs!

We will end this
piece by returning to the issue of global warming as a major
contributor to desertification. Reflect on the fact that global warming
is caused by the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. There
is one industrial complex that releases massive amounts of greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere on a daily basis. We are talking about the
gas flares in the oil fields of the Niger Delta. If Nigeria is serious
about tackling the issue of desertification, one of the immediate first
steps is to stop the activity of gas flaring that have been illegal
since 1984.

If we continue to
stoke the atmosphere with greenhouse gasses through gas flaring in the
South and keep planting a tree belt with the intention of halting
desertification in the North, we are clearly wasting salt on porcupine
intestine. It will remain a bitter tale.