Desertification: the result of social, economic and technical factors.

It has been stated, the word desert originated in an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph pronounced as Tesert, meaning a place that was forsaken or left behind. From this came the Latin verb Deserere, to abandon. From the latter came Desertum, a waste place or wilderness, and Desertus meaning abandoned or relinquished. This in itself implies the desert was …

The Impacts of Deforestation

Ecosystems are continuously affected by disruptions of various intensities and frequencies.  Deforestation is a long-term conversion of forest to agricultural or urbanised land, and the human impact of deforestation and global climate change causes severe damage to forest ecosystems. Globally, many rainforest species are increasingly threatened due to deforestation, and even though they cover only …

Salinity changes – Oceans are a key component in our climate system

The Oceans are a key component in our climate system, transporting heat and fresh water, and exchanging these with the atmosphere.   The World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) began as a component of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), using resources to form unique in-situ and satellite observations of the global ocean currents, global thermohaline circulation, …