I) Desertification of the Sahel
Sahel means "shore of the desert" in Arabic.
a. Human causes of desertification
1. Desertification is an expansion of dry conditions into moist areas that are next to deserts.
2. Allowing overgrazing of vegetation by livestock exposes the soil which increase the case of desertification.
3. When farmers clear the land to plant crops, they expose the soil to wind, which causes erosion.
4. Increasing population levels are an indirect cause of desertification.
b. Results of desertification
1. Desertification has affected many parts of Africa.
2. This is slowly destroying a tropical rain forest around Lake Chad in the southern edge of the Sahel.
II) Harming the Environment in Nigeria
Rich oil deposits in the Niger delta made Nigeria on of the wealthiest countries.
a. A major oil producer
1. Nigeria is the eighth leading oil exporter in the world.
2. Two million barrels are extracted each day, and a lot of it is shipped to the U.S.
3. Oil accounts for 80-90% of Nigeria's income.
b. Destroying the land and people
1. The damage caused by oil companies and the Nigerian government has been severe.
2. Over 4,000 oil spills have occurred in the Niger delta over the past four decades.
3. Between 1998 and 2000, oil pipeline explosions killed more that 2,000 people.
c. A new start
1. In 1999, Nigeria adopted a new constitution, and in May, Olusegun Obasanjo became Nigeria's new president.
2. In April 2007, Nigeria elected a new president, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.
III) Controlling the Nile
Egypt faces environmental challenges cause by water.
a. The Aswan High Dam
1. The Aswan Dam was created in 1970, and was built by rocks from the channel.
2. The dam gives the farmers a regular supply of water.
3. The water has increased Egypt's Farmable land by 50%.
b. Problems with the dam
1. During the dams construction, many people had to be relocated, including thousands of Nubians, whose way of life changed drastically.
2. The dam also decreased the fertility of the soil around the Nile.
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