Human overpopulation is leading to deforestation and destruction of tropical wet and dry forests due to slash-and-burn and other methods of subsistence farming. Large tracts of fertile land are rapidly losing their fertility and becoming sterile. Overgrazing is also a serious issue; modern grazing methods, increase in grazing livestock and decrease in land available for grazing is having a significant impact. Desertification is a major cause for concern in the developed as well as the developing world as the livelihoods of millions of people are at stake.

Effective prevention of desertification requires the promotion of sustainable use of resources. Methods that target the root cause of desertification should be preferred over ones that only address the symptoms.

A number of methods have been tried to reduce the rate of desertification. Most importantly, the number of animals grazing on the affected lands need to be reduced, allowing plants to re-grow. Covering the soil with a layer of leaves and sawdust reduces the rate of evaporation, inhibits growth of weeds, and also enriches the soil. In areas of sand dunes, covering the dunes with large boulders will interrupt the wind and prevent the sand from moving. In areas where some water is available for irrigation, the planting of shrubs will reduce wind velocity and prevent the loss of topsoil.

Desertification occurs on a large scale over many generations and some ideas to tackle the problem include active participation in the activities of conservation groups, and preventing the occurrence of overgrazing and land mismanagement.

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