
Lars Eklundh
Professor

A recent greening of the Sahel - Trends, patterns and potential causes
Author
Summary, in English
For the last four decades there has been sustained scientific interest in contemporary environmental change in the Sahel (the southern fringe of the Sahara). It suffered several devastating droughts and famines between the late 1960s and early 1990s. Speculation about the climatology of these droughts is unresolved, as is speculation about the effects of land clearance on rainfall and about land degradation in this zone. However, recent findings suggest a consistent trend of increasing vegetation greenness in much of the region. Increasing rainfall over the last few years is certainly one reason, but does not fully explain the change. Other factors, such as land use change and migration, may also contribute. This study investigates the nature of a secular vegetation trend across the Sahel and discusses several potential causative factors.
Department/s
- Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
Publishing year
2005
Language
English
Pages
556-566
Publication/Series
Journal of Arid Environments
Volume
63
Issue
3
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Elsevier
Topic
- Physical Geography
Keywords
- remote sensing
- desertification
- vegetation change
- sahel
- migration
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1095-922X