desertification

Deforestation and flooding in Bangladesh, the collapse of Black Sea fisheries, the desertification of sub-Saharan Africa and “a nearly endless list” of other issues, he said, would drive human migration.

Prof Maathai championed the view that women, especially in rural areas, could improve the environment by planting trees to provide a fuel source and to slow deforestation and desertification.

The government is set to announce measures to avoid desertification by promoting better management of soil and other natural resources in the region.

New research shows how the world's oases have grown and shrunk over the past 25 years as water availability patterns changed and desertification encroaches on these wet refuges.

The country is responsible for a tiny fraction of world-wide emissions, yet Chile is particularly vulnerable to drought and desertification.