Drought Follows the Plow: Cultivating Marginal Areas

by Michael H. Glantz (Editor)

Overview

We are now in the "Age of Environmental Enlightenment" and global warming is seen as a major threat to the well-being of the world's communities. Today many researchers speculate that with global warming of the atmosphere there will be an increase in drought-related crop failures in areas already subject to drought. They contend that dry areas will get drier and wet areas wetter. Yet observations show that people are moving into regions that are relatively less fruitful with respect to agriculture productivity than the lands from which they emigrated. This book challenges the view that future droughts will be caused by climate change as opposed to human activities and demographic change. The author predicts future problems in these fragile environments, whether or not global climate changes occur. This book will intrigue researchers in environmental biology, environmental sciences, popular science, and agriculture, as well as policy makers and students.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521442527
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/01/1994
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.63(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; List of contributors; Introduction Michael H. Glantz; Part I. Drought, Desertification and Food Production: 1. Drought Michael H. Glantz; 2. Desertification Michael H. Glantz; 3. Food production: role of marginal lands Michael H. Glantz; 4. Cultivating the dry margins Michael H. Glantz; Part II. Case Studies and Conclusions: 5. The West African Sahel Michael H. Glantz; 6. Somalia Jörg Janzen; 7. The Brazilian Nordeste (Northeast) Antonio Magalhães and Pennie Magee; 8. The dry regions of Kenya David Campbell; 9. Australia R. Les Heathcote; 10. Ethiopia James McCann; 11. Northwest Africa Will Swearingen; 12. The Virgin Lands scheme in the former Soviet Union Igor Zonn, Michael H. Glantz and Alvin Rubinstein; 13. South Africa Coleen Vogel; 14. Is the stork outrunning the plow? Michael H. Glantz; Notes; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"...Policy makers, scientists, and the public can look to this book to find information about the threats of global climate change." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

"...provides a useful, timely packet of lessons. Delegates to the Conference of Parties are well advised to read this brief treatise; it contains a rich body of information on drought and desertification. This may inspire their drive toward much-needed action." Mohammed Kassas, International Environment Affairs

From the Publisher