Desert greening
It is important to account for factors such as the geographical location of the area, amount of annual precipitation, average temperature, soil quality, nutrient availability, native plant and animal life, along with the human impact when aiming to restore a degraded or disrupted desert biome.
[15] With the growth of human population in urban areas that are located close to deserts, ecoscaping has become an important strategy when designing and building infrastructure.
Using the National Tree Benefit Calculator software it was established that if Acacia tortilis, Ziziphus spina-christi, and Phoenix dactylifera were planted in a desert city like Doha, this would yield a host of environmental benefits along with economic gains including carbon sequestration, air pollution reduction, lowering of the urban heat index, prevention of storm water runoff and increase in property values.
[7] As global temperatures increase, environmental impacts are considerably greater in dry regions with reduced precipitation levels which are vulnerable to desertification.
[17] Some common approaches used in desert farming include water management, soil improvement, crop selection, shade and windbreaks, greenhouses and controlled environments.
[19] In a greenhouse, various environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, light intensity, and carbon dioxide levels can be monitored and adjusted to create ideal growing conditions for plants.
This helps maintain a warmer temperature compared to the outside environment, extending the growing season and enabling the cultivation of plants that are not naturally suited to the local climate.
[25] By harnessing the power of seawater and innovative greenhouse technologies, these initiatives are contributing to sustainable agriculture and addressing the challenges posed by water scarcity and climate change.
[citation needed] Collecting rainwater and storing it in ponds, reservoirs, or underground tanks is one of the simplest ways to improve soil moisture content, helping to increase green cover and crop production in arid areas.
[32] Overall, rainwater harvesting contributes to desert greening by increasing soil moisture, promoting vegetation growth, and conserving water resources.
It is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly technique that can be implemented at various scales, from individual households to large-scale agricultural systems to make desert areas more productive and sustainable.
Desert greening by the Helmand and Arghandab Valley Authority irrigation scheme in Afghanistan significantly reduced the water flowing from the Helmand River into Lake Hamun and this, together with drought, was cited as a key reason for the severe damage to the ecology of Lake Hamun, much of which has degenerated since 1999 from a wetland of international importance into salt flats.
[35] Similarly in northwestern China, desert greening practices fueled by economic and environmental benefits, resulted in the exhaustion of the groundwater sources which impacted soil integrity.
[38] During his time as a professor at Tottori University, Toyama was able to revitalize the surrounding sandy dunes into revenue generating farms through his irrigation techniques and knowledge of plant species.
[39] The history of modern desert greening in Asia focuses on initiatives that are aimed at reducing desertification and promoting sustainable land management practices.
These initiatives involve planting trees, shrubs, and grasses to hold the soil in place, prevent erosion, and improve water retention.
[43] Overall, the history of modern desert greening in Asia reflects the need to address environmental challenges such as desertification and promote sustainable land management practices.
[47] The program started in 1978 with the proposed end result of raising northern China's forested area from 5 to 15 percent,[48] and is planned to be completed around 2050,[49] at which point it will be 4,500 km (2,800 mi) long.
[50] According to Foreign Affairs, the program successfully transitioned the economic model in the Gobi Desert region from ecologically harmful industrial farming and pastoralism to beneficial ecotourism, fruticulture and forestry.
[51] In 2018, United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found the increase in forest coverage observed by satellites is consistent with the Chinese government data.
[52] Zhang Jianlong, head of the Forestry Department, told the media that the goal was to sustain the health of vegetation and choose suitable plant species and irrigation techniques.
[52] According to BBC News report in 2020, China's tree plantation programs resulted in significant carbon fixation and helped mitigated climate change, and the benefit was underestimated by previous research.
[61] Overall, modern desert greening in Africa has made significant progress in reducing the impact of desertification and improving the sustainability of agriculture and natural resource management in arid areas.
[62] A report commissioned by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was published on September 7, 2020,[65] that the Great Green Wall had only covered 4% of the planned area, with only 4,000,000 ha (9,900,000 acres; 40,000 km2) planted.
[66] In January 2021, the project received a boost at the One Planet Summit, where its partners pledged 14.3 billion USD to launch the Great Green Wall Accelerator, aimed at facilitating the collaboration and coordination among donors and involved stakeholders across 11 countries.
[68] According to the second edition of the Global Land Outlook' published by the UNCCD in April 2022, one reason the project has experienced implementation challenges is the political risk associated with investing in more fragile nations as well as the fact that many "GGW projects generate low economic returns compared to the significant environmental and social benefits accrued that often have little or no market value".
One notable example is the "Great Green Wall" project, inspired by similar initiatives in Africa, which aims to create a vegetation barrier of local native plants across Australia's east coast to prevent desertification and erosion.
[Reference needed] It's important to note that the success of desert greening initiatives depends on various factors, including local climate conditions, access to water resources, suitable plant species, and sustainable land management practices.
Sundrop Farms launched a greenhouse in 2016 to produce 15,000 tonnes of tomatoes using only desert soil and desalinated water piped from Spencer Gulf.
