从萨赫勒地带的荒漠化看世界荒漠化的原因

A DISCUSSION OF THE CAUSES OF THE DESERTIFICATION—WITH SHAHEL, WEST AFRICA, AS AN EXAMPLE

西非萨赫勒地带是世界最严重的荒漠化地区,60年代末这里发生的严重干旱和荒漠化引起国际社会对世界荒漠化问题的重视,从而使荒漠化成为联合国确定的"全球性问题"之一,并在全世界范围内兴起了一场轰轰烈烈的防治荒漠化运动。本文从不同的角度和层次对该地带荒漠化的原因进行了分析。由于该地带荒漠化在世界上有较大的典型性和代表性,因此对其原因的分析和认识有助于对世界许多地区荒漠化原因的认识。

Sahel, west Africa, is the most seriousely desertified region in the world. During the period of 1968-1973 there occurred a serious drought and desertification, so that the desertification problem was paid attention to throughout the world and was regarded as a 'global problem' by the United Nations. Then, a movement for controlling the desertification has been rising on a grand and spectacular scale all over the world. The paper analyses the causes of the desertification in Sahel from various viewpoints and levels. Owing to the typicalness and representativeness of the Sahel's desertification, maybe the analysis will help to understand the causes of many other similar regions' desertifieation in the world.