Desertification by mining and agriculture

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Camels on the Mongolian steppe

The threat of desertification: The Mongolian Plateau dry out

by Panteres

EXCERPT

Dust storms are piling up, lakes are smaller: researchers warn against dehydration of the Mongolian plateau — the region is eight times the size of Germany. Cause were mining and agriculture.

A huge plateau in Central Asia threatens to dry up. The lakes of the Mongolian plateau that extends across Mongolia and Inner Mongolia belonging to China, according to a study disappearing at an accelerating pace. Blame are mainly mining and agriculture, remind Chinese researchers in the’ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’. They warn of catastrophic consequences.

The researchers found that the reasons for the devastation — climate change is not among them. In the sparsely populated Mongolia, the number of lakes waned since the eighties by almost 18 percent, in Inner Mongolia, with about ten times higher population density, contrast, almost twice as much — 34 percent

Key factors are. irrigation for agriculture, which lowers the water table, and especially the mining industry. Under the region dormant mineral resources such as coal, oil, copper or gold. Due to the increasing demand for food and natural resources, the researchers expect a gain of the observed trends in the coming decades.

‘ More effective action is urgently needed to save these precious lakes’, they emphasize.’ Otherwise, the damage caused by the loss lakes for nature, the nomadic culture and civilization on the plateau catastrophic.’ Avoiding such devastating consequences is a major challenge for the wisdom of politicians include the Chinese scientists.

Read the full article: Panteres

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Originally published at desertification.wordpress.com on February 4, 2015.