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      Desertification: the uneasy interface between science, people & environmental issues in Africa

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      other
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      Review of African Political Economy
      Review of African Political Economy
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            Abstract

            Desertification is a major environmental issue that is the focus of a recent UN convention (the CCD) that aims to improve the resolution of the problem.

            Desertification is however not a straight forward issue and has many controversial dimensions, in part due to confusion over its definition, extent, characteristics and causes. Many difficulties have arisen at the interface between science, politics and decision makers. From a scientific perspective, these problems have been a result of the speed of scientific research, the way in which scientifc ideas evolve, the manner in which data have been selectively used and, in parts of the developing world, becasue of perceived links between science and colonisation. It is argued that despite these problems that create an uneasy interface between science and politics, desertification can not be tackled from political and social directions alone.

            Science has a real role to play in combating desertification, particularly in the light of CCD goals. This role includes retaining the clarity of the issue, identifying environmental responses to human disturbances, monitoring the extent of desretifcation, and identifying appropriate scales of remedial action.

            Content

            Author and article information

            Journal
            crea20
            CREA
            Review of African Political Economy
            Review of African Political Economy
            0305-6244
            1740-1720
            December 1997
            : 24
            : 74
            : 583-589
            Affiliations
            a Sheffield Centre for International Drylands Research, Department of Geography , University of Sheffield , Sheffield , S10 2TN , UK
            Article
            8704283 Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 24, No. 74, December 1997, pp. 583-589
            10.1080/03056249708704283
            3887a847-efee-4ec6-8cec-65c112ae0e93

            All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

            History
            Page count
            Figures: 0, Tables: 0, References: 35, Pages: 7
            Categories
            Debate

            Sociology,Economic development,Political science,Labor & Demographic economics,Political economics,Africa

            References

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