DESERT - Sahara

Question 1

Facts:

Answer 1

• Occupies 10% African continent
• <10 inches rain/year

Question 2

Opportunities:

Answer 2

• 2.5 million live on the desert
• Biodiversity - 1/4 plants endemic, animals such as fennec fox
• In Algeria and Lybia deposits of oil and natural gas, solar power

Question 3

Threats:

Answer 3

• Irrigation increases salinity - in Egypt, use of exotic river Nile increases salinity of soil because water contains mineral salts (as water evaporates, leaves these behind) > problems with farming
• Mining - may cause water pollution and congestion because the Hassi Messaoud mine employs 40,000 people - damages sand dunes as they drive, damages ecosystems on sand dunes

Question 4

Conservation:

Answer 4

• Toshka Project - will irrigate more land away from Nile valley
• Costs $70 billion
• How it will work:
  
  • Increase irrigated land area
  • Enable more types of crops to be grown
  • Provide more food for people in desert