What are the challenges of living in a hot desert environment?

Work as a team to write down as many challenges you feel living in the desert would present you with…….

Unreliable water supply Lack of communication links Extreme temperatures Unreliable water supply Lack of communication links https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUS-qV-__EA

What is the impact of these challenges? Expert Heads Soil erosion & drought Over grazing Salinisation Over cultivation You are responsible for reading and summarising the information into a paragraph to share with your team. Ensure you include all the details and key words Form well structured sentences that make sense. You have 5 minutes to complete this task.

Soil erosion and drought This is a problem which affects many areas. When the soil is left bare, the wind can pick up speed due to the flat land and blow away the unprotected soil. The effects of drought in Africa The soil is exposed and vulnerable to erosion as a result of the removal of vegetation and overgrazing. Trees, which provide protection from the wind and rain, are removed to be used as fuel. Nomadic tribes are not wandering as much with their cattle, which puts pressure on the land where they settle. When soil is blown away the land becomes useless for grazing and crops and causes desertification. This is a problem in the Sahel region of Africa. This problem is worsened when restrictions are placed on the movement of nomadic tribes.

Overgrazing In the desert there is not enough vegetation (plants) to support the cattle that are grazing with the tribes or commercial cattle ranches (businesses). This means that the cattle eat every last bit of greenery they can find, including the root. If the root is eaten the plant will never grow again and therefore cannot replenish itself. In the future there will be less and less vegetation for the cattle to graze on and less fuel for use in fires for the tribes. Overgrazing will leave the soil open to erosion.

Over-cultivation Cultivation means to work the land-mostly for growing crops. With so little land that is suitable for cultivation (growing crops) in the desert, areas that are used tend to be over-cultivated. This leaves the soil leached (drained) of nutrients (goodness) and unfit to grow further crops in the future.

Salinisation Salinisation occurs when the water in soils evaporates in high temperatures, drawing salts from the soil to the surface. These salts are toxic to many plants and make the land unusable. This has consequences such as low yields, poor profits and even starvation. Irrigation of land - when water is brought to land that is naturally dry - can cause salinisation on desert margins. It is not just physical geography which is affected when humans use desert environments. Culturally, when tourists and new migrants come in culture may be diluted or new languages picked up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1s9KYrNI1g

Challenges of the hot desert Soil erosion and drought Overgrazing Over-cultivation Salinisation