Deserts make up one third of all land area on planet earth, and this area has been increasing due to climate change and loss of some wetlands all around the world.

Although the word “desert” may bring to mind a sea of shifting sand, dunes cover only about 10 percent of the world’s deserts. Some deserts are mountainous, others are dry expanses of rock, sand, or salt flats.

The world’s largest hot desert, The Sahara, is a subtropical desert in northern Africa. The Sahara Desert is almost the size of the United States.

The islands which are closest to the African mainland, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, are effectively desert or semi desert and are also considered subtropical deserts. These volcanic islands are known as The Canary Islands and are officially part of Spain's territory, historically they been considered a link between the four continents of Africa, North America, South America, and Europe. Now they are an attractive destination for over 12 million visitors each year who want to enjoy a warm climate all year around and the scenic rugged terrain.

However the terrain wasn’t always like this, the islands were once completely covered in laurel forests, a prehistoric natural treasure. These forests once covered much of Northern Africa and Southern Europe up until roughly 20,000 years ago but due to Human Impact and Global Climate Change they have almost entirely disappeared, except for a few last remaining areas within The Canary Islands which are now being threatened by land degradation due to over tourism and increasing populations since the 1950s, according to this research paper, desertification has intensified in the last 50 years despite the intensive deforestation in 15th and 19th centuries, which also took its toll on the landscape.

Laurel forests are so crucial since they are extremely humid and wet, they are full of biodiversity and are the life support system for these islands, without them the islands would turn completely to desert just like the Sahara next door.

Almost 330,000 hectares which is 44% of the surface area of the archipelago is affected by severe processes of accelerated water erosion according to the same research paper, titled: Factors and process leading to desertification in The Canary Islands, particularly in Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria are worst affected because of the sparse vegetation and intense human pressure on the land. Approximately 280,000 hectares which is 38% of the surface area of The Canaries is affected by wind erosion. High salinity of the soil is also a huge issue for agricultural land affecting 84% of farmland.

However on the island of Gran Canaria there is a project that is starting to turn this around, in this video we will show you how a new innovative technology is going to capture 215,000 liters of fog and dew to help plant 20,000 laurel trees to stop the advancement of the desert.

Check out the project: Life Niebles to learn more!



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