Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2013
From Shared Risk to Shared Value: the Business Case for Disaster Risk Reduction


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(Source: GAR 13 paperErian et al., 2012

GAR13 Reference Erian, W., Katlan, B., Ouldbedy, B., Awad, H., Zaghtity, E. and Ibrahim, S. 2012. ,Agriculture Drought in Africa and Mediterranean., Background Paper prepared for the 2013 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction., Geneva,Switzerland.
Click here to view this GAR paper.
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Figure 6.9 Drought hazard and land degradation in sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab region and the Mediterranean (main map); Horn of Africa and Spain highlighted (bottom maps)
6.6
Land degradation
Land degradation has been recognised as a key driver of agricultural drought risk. Vast areas in Africa, the Arab and Mediterranean regions are experiencing both land degradation and high levels of agricultural drought. As a result, these areas are at risk of desertification, representing an irreversible loss of natural capital.
Land degradation is associated with intensive agriculture or overgrazing, and salinisation owing to inappropriate irrigation, deforestation and the breakdown of traditional agro-ecological systems. Climate change may interact with some of these factors, but is rarely the main driver of land degradation (WMO, 2005

WMO (World Meteorological Organization). 2005.,Climate and Land Degradation., WMO n°. 989., Geneva,Switzerland.. .
).
Land degradation can increase agricultural drought by reducing the moisture-carrying capacity of the
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