International Symposium on
Drylands Ecology and Human Security
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The Role of Agricultural Extention in Desertification Combating Taha Yasin Aladimi Faculty of Agriculture, Sana’a University, Yemen
Yemen is suffering from desertification mainly as a result of its geographical situation in the semiarid lands which known with less rainfalls and Scarcity of fresh waters. High rates of population increase, poverty, unemployment, Literacy and immigration are essential factors leading to more desertification, since more population increase necessarily means more demands push on environmental resources, especially for water and firewood. In addition, low rates of development and unemployment limit the man power and society activities to the field of agriculture and raising animals which cause more stress on environmental resources, especially ground water. Depletion of ground water in many basins ended with dry lands and deserted areas. Heavy loads of sheep and goats on pastures and extra cuts for trees and shrubs for firewood also converted forests, green lands and mountains to deserts. Immigration of manpower from rural areas resulted in abandoned agricultural lands, especially the terraces. Abandoned terraces are a big loss for many environmental functions of terraces such as: water harvest, recharge of ground water and protecting the lower agricultural lands in valleys.
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