Lesson video

Hi geographers, my name's Ms. Hoggit, and I'm really excited that you are here to learn some geography with me today.

I'm sure if you try your best, you're going to be absolutely fantastic.

Don't worry too much if you haven't studied this topic before, I'm here to help you every step of the way.

The title for today's lesson is The greening of the Arabian Desert, and this sits within the unit, The Middle East, how have natural resources shaped the Middle East? Our learning outcome for today is that I can explain the challenge of desertification and recognise the strategies to respond to it.

The key words that are going to be really helpful in understanding today's lesson are, desertification, desalination, and sustainable.

Desertification is the process by which fertile land becomes desert.

Desalination is the process of removing salt from sea water, and sustainable is when something is able to continue over a long time.

So desertification, desalination, and sustainable are going to be really helpful in today's lesson.

This lesson is split into two learning cycles, the challenge of desertification and the responses to desertification.

We're going to start with our first learning cycle now, the challenge of desertification.

Desertification is the process by which fertile land becomes desert.

It often happens when land that once supported crops, animals, and vegetation becomes dry, bare, and less able to support life.

This can be caused by a mix of natural processes like drought and human activities such as overgrazing, deforestation, or using too much water for farming.

It's a huge challenge around the Arabian Desert, especially in places like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

These countries already have very dry climates, but desertification is making it harder to manage land and resources.

As more land becomes dry and less productive, it puts pressure and water supplies, food production, and even where people can live and work.

Temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius in the Arabian Desert, and most places don't get more than 250 millimetres of precipitation a year.

The high temperatures and low rainfall in the Arabian Desert mean that soil quickly loses its moisture.

Climate change is causing the climate in the Arabian Desert to become even hotter and drier.

Rising temperatures, including more heat waves and less rainfall lead to more droughts.

This makes land around the desert less fertile and increases the risk of desertification.

It becomes harder for plants and animals and even people to survive.

Now, human activity can also make the land more vulnerable to desertification, and this is through activities such as overgrazing, deforestation, and over-farming.

Now, overgrazing happens when people allow too many animals like sheep, goats, or cattle to feed on the same land for too long.

They eat grass faster than it can grow back, and their hooves can damage the soil.

Without enough plants to protect it, the soil becomes loose and dry.

When the wind blows or it rains, the top layer of soil, which is usually the most fertile, can easily be washed or blown away.

This mean the land slowly loses its ability to support plant life and begins to turn into desert.

On the other hand, deforestation is when trees and other vegetation are cut down often for fuel, farming or building materials.

Trees help hold the soil together with their roots and provide shade, which helps keep moisture in the ground.

When they're removed, the soil is left exposed to the sun, wind, and rain, and this can lead to erosion where the top soil is worn away.

Without trees to protect and enrich the land, it becomes drier and less fertile, increasing the risk of desertification.

And lastly, over-farming happens when the land is used to grow crops too often without giving it time to rest or recover.

If the same crops are planted again and again, they use up the same nutrients in soil, which can make the soil tired and less productive.

Farmers might try to solve this by using more water or chemicals, but they can sometimes make the problem worse.

Over time, the soil can become hard, salty, and dry, making it difficult for anything to grow.

This process can eventually turn once healthy farmland into desert.

So overgrazing, deforestation and over-farming are all caused by people and they can all increase the risk of desertification.

As a result of this, the Arabian Desert is expanding and we can see that located on our map.

If we take a look, the dark orange colour represents the existing desert region, and then the lighter orange colour around that is the area that's at risk from desertification.

And as we can see, it covers the whole area around the current Arabian Desert.

So true or false? Desertification is only caused by physical factors.

Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done if you said false.

We know that human activity such as farming and deforestation can also lead to desertification.

Good work geographers.

90% of the land in the Arabian Peninsula lies within arid, semi-arid and humid climates and is therefore at risk of desertification.

Sofia says, "This affects nearly 90 million people within the region." So that's a huge number of people affected by desertification along the Arabian Peninsula.

There are many challenges created by desertification that impact those 90 million people on the Arabian Peninsula.

When land becomes dry and damaged and less able to support life, people, communities, animals and entire countries are impacted.

This can be from things such as loss of fertile land, which is one of the biggest problems. Fertile soil is what allows crops to grow and animals to graze.

When the top layer of soil is lost due to wind or rain or when it becomes too dry or salty, plants can't grow easily.

This means farmers struggle to grow enough food, which can lead to hunger and poverty in rural areas.

Water scarcity is another major issue.

Desertification often leads to less water being stored in the soil and fewer natural sources like rivers or underground wells.

As land dries out, the water table drops and it becomes harder to find clean water for drinking, farming, and everyday use.

This can put huge pressure on communities, especially in places where rainfall is already low.

Likewise, biodiversity loss happens when plants and animals can no longer survive in their natural habitat.

As the land becomes more desert-like, fewer species can live there.

Some animals may have to migrate to find food or water, and some may become endangered or extinct.

This loss of biodiversity can affect the entire ecosystem and reduce the natural balance of life in the area.

But it's not just impacts on the environment.

We could also see things like forced migration, which can occur when people can no longer survive on the land that they live.

If farming becomes impossible or there isn't enough water, families may have to move to cities or other regions to find work and resources.

This can lead to overcrowding in urban areas and make it harder for migrants to find jobs, homes, or access to services.

And lastly, there can also be economic challenges.

And these are quite common.

When land becomes unproductive, it affects people's incomes, especially in places where farming is a key part of the economy.

Governments may need to spend more money on food imports, water supply and support for affected communities.

At the same time, the country may earn even less money from exports like crops or livestock.

This can slow down development and create long-term problems for the whole region.

So as we can see, desertification creates a huge number of challenges for both people and the environment.

But despite this, desertification also creates some opportunities.

It gives people the chance to think differently, act creatively, and work together to solve environmental challenges.

Yes, it's a serious problem, but it has encouraged people, scientists, and governments to come up with new ideas and solutions that can actually benefit communities and the planet.

For example, there's been increased innovation including technological advancements, and this is one of the most exciting opportunities.

In areas affected by desertification, people are using new technology to help protect and restore land.

For example, satellite monitoring can track land degradation and help farmers make better decisions about where to plant crops.

Solar powered irrigation systems are being used to save water, and scientists are developing crops that survive with less moisture.

These innovations not only help in dry areas, but can also be shared around the world to support farming in difficult environments.

But there's also movement towards restoration and sustainability because these have become major goals across the world.

In some places, communities are working together to bring land back to life, a process called land restoration.

This can involve planting trees to stop erosion, using traditional farm methods to protect the soil or creating green walls to slow the spread of the desert.

These efforts help make the land more sustainable, meaning it can support people and nature for generations to come.

Projects like these can also create jobs, improve food security, and strengthen local knowledge about caring for the environment.

And lastly, global investment and attention are increasing too.

Because desertification affects food supply, climate and people's livelihoods, it's gained more attention from international organisations, governments, and charities.

As a result, more money and resources are being invested in solving the problem.

This can lead to better education, improved infrastructure, and stronger partnerships between countries.

It also gives communities living in deserts a stronger voice and more opportunity to shape their future.

So while desertification is a major challenge, it also encourages action, creativity, and cooperation.

And therefore there are some opportunities created by desertification.

So we're going to put what we've learned in learning cycle one into practise.

And there are two parts to this practise task that I'd like you to complete.

For part one, I'd like you to think about what is desertification and how much of a risk is it to the countries on the Arabian Peninsula? And for part two, I would like you to complete the table outlining the opportunities and challenges of desertification.

Pause the video and have a go at completing this practise task.

Well done for giving that a really good go, geographers.

Let's check what you could have said for question one.

Desertification is the process of fertile land becoming desert.

Nearly 70% of the land in countries within the Arabian Peninsula is at risk of desertification.

This affects nearly 90 million people.

It is a huge challenge for these countries, especially in places such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Well done if you've got that spot on.

For part two, you needed to complete the table outlining the opportunities and challenges of desertification.

So for opportunities, you could have bullet pointed, increased innovation such as technological advancements, restoration and sustainability, and global investment and attention.

And for challenges of desertification, you could have said water scarcity, economic challenges, loss of fertile land, forced migration, and biodiversity loss.

Well done if you've got those absolutely spot on.

You've done brilliantly in learning cycle one.

And we are now ready to move on to learning cycle two, responses to desertification.

Now we know desertification presents challenges and therefore it's not sustainable.

As a result, countries on the Arabian Peninsula are therefore implementing a variety of different strategies to respond to it.

For something to be sustainable, it needs to meet today's need without damaging the environment or using up resources for future generations.

It then means it can last for a long time.

One strategy that could be used is planting trees, and this is a sustainable strategy commonly used to slow down desertification.

Trees help hold the soil together with their roots, they provide shade and reduce the temperature of the land.

This helps bring moisture back into the air, which can slightly increase rainfall over time.

In Saudi Arabia, the Green Saudi Initiative of 2021 planned to plant 10 billion trees across the country.

Alex says, "This is part of a big effort to restore damaged land, improve air quality, and reduce the effects of climate change." Thank you, Alex.

Now, there are lots of different advantages of tree planting, and Izzy says this can include that, "Tree roots stop soil from blowing or washing away." Jacob says, "Trees help keep the land cool and reduce water loss." Jun says, "Trees absorb CO2, which helps fight climate change." And Laura says, "Trees improve air quality and create habitats for animals." So all of these advantages can be created just by planting trees.

That's really impressive.

However, trees need a lot of water to grow, which is hard to find in deserts.

So it can be hard to find the right crops to plant.

It also takes a long time for trees to grow and make a difference.

So it's not a quick process.

And if the wrong type of tree is planted, it can actually harm the local environment because it disrupts the ecosystem.

So we have to be really careful when we're considering what trees we're going to plant and how quickly they're going to grow.

So let's think about what you've just learned about the tree planting and the Green Saudi Initiative.

And I'd like you to answer this question.

How many trees are planned to be planted in Saudi Arabia as part of the Green Saudi Initiative? Is it A, 10,000, B, 10 million, or C, 10 billion? Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done if you said C, 10 billion.

That's absolutely spot on.

It's a huge number.

Now we also know that desertification can lead to water scarcity.

So we want to think about how we can overcome this.

And one strategy is desalination, which is a strategy used to address the challenge of water scarcity across the region.

Desalination is the process of removing salt from sea water.

Pause the video and have a read of this diagram to understand in a bit more detail how desalination works.

Now, countries such as Saudi Arabia are investing in desalination, and Jacob says, "Over 75% of the world's desalinated water comes from the Middle East.

With Saudi Arabia being the biggest producer, and in the image we can see a desalination plant located in Saudi Arabia.

But there are different strengths and weaknesses of the process of desalination.

Some really good advantages are that it provides clean water for growing populations, particularly when other reserves such as reservoirs are low.

However, it's very expensive to run and maintain, and they require a lot of energy.

The leftover salt called brine is also really harmful for marine wildlife as it's often put back into the sea.

So whilst there are advantages of this strategy, there are equally some disadvantages.

So which of the following statements is a strength of desalination? It's very expensive to run and maintain.

It provides clean water for growing populations.

The leftover salt called brine is also harmful for marine wildlife.

Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done for giving that a good go, geographers.

Let's check your answer.

So we know that our second statement, it provides clean water for growing populations is a strength of desalination.

Being expensive to run and maintain and harming marine wildlife are both going to be negatives.

So well done if you got that spot on.

Now another challenge of desertification is that it makes it very difficult to grow crops.

And a solution to this is vertical farming, which is a modern way of growing food indoors using tall stacks or shelves.

Plants grow in controlled environments using artificial light, water systems, and no soil.

This helps to produce food in places where the land is too dry or damaged to farm.

Bustanica is the world's largest vertical farm and it's located in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

It grows leafy greens using 95% less water than traditional farming, helping to feed the population without needing the fertile land.

Now, vertical farming is sustainable because it uses less water, which is important in deserts.

It means food can be grown all year round.

It doesn't require fertile soil, so it avoids land damage and it reduces the need to import food from other countries.

So there are lots of reasons why vertical farming is sustainable as it's allowing that resource to continue for a long time and be accessed by future generations without impacting its availability today.

So it's a really sustainable solution.

But as with all of our other strategies, there are some drawbacks to consider.

Vertical farming can be very expensive to build and run, only certain types of crops, such as leafy greens grow well in this way, and it requires skilled workers and advanced technology in order to maintain itself.

So therefore, there is some challenges associated with vertical farming whilst it is a more sustainable solution.

So true or false? The world's largest vertical farm is located in Saudi Arabia.

Pause the video and have a go at answering that question.

Well done if you said false.

We know that the world's largest vertical farm is called Bustanica, and it's located in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

Good work geographers.

So we are going to practise what you've learned about the responses to desertification, and here you have a statement from Andeep which reads, "There is nothing that can be done to reverse desertification or overcome the challenges." So for this practise task, I would like you to respond to Andeep statement with examples of strategies that could overcome the challenges of desertification.

Pause the video now and have a go at completing this practise task.

Well done for giving that a good go.

Let's check what you may have included in your answer.

So you might have said, I don't agree with Andeep's statement, because there are ways to fight desertification and deal with its challenges.

For example, Saudi Arabia uses desalination to turn sea water into fresh water, which overcomes the challenge of water scarcity within the country.

Another sustainable solution is planting trees like in the Green Saudi Initiative, where the country plans to plant billions of trees to reduce desertification, improve air quality, and stop soil erosion.

Also, vertical farming is helping in desert areas.

Bustanica, in the UAE, is the world's largest vertical farm and grows fresh food indoors using very little water and no soil.

These examples show that with the right technology and planning, we can overcome the challenges of desertification and even reverse some of its effects.

So there's lots you could have said about the strategies used to overcome and reverse desertification.

And hopefully you've included lots of those in your answer.

Well done geographers, because we've now reached the end of this lesson about the greening of the Arabian Desert.

To summarise what we've learned today, desertification is a major challenge in the region around the Arabian Desert.

Desalination often provides water for farming and drinking in the region.

Tree planting projects aim to combat the spread of the Arabian Desert.

And lastly, vertical farming can be a sustainable solution to increase food supplies in places with limited natural resources such as the Arabian Desert.

It's been a pleasure to have you join me for our geography lesson today.

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day, and I will see you soon for our next lesson.

Bye geographers.