Environmental Degradation and Climate Migration: Evaluating the Socio Ecological Drivers of Desert Expansion

This review synthesizes the intricate links between environmental degradation, desert expansion, and climate migration, detailing their socio-ecological drivers and consequences. It establishes that desertification, amplified by anthropogenic activities and global climate change, poses a critical global challenge. Unsustainable land management, water scarcity, population dynamics, and economic policies erode ecological stability, leading to land productivity loss and compelling human displacement. This environmental deterioration acts as a catalyst for climate migration, intensifying pressures and functioning as a "threat multiplier." The review evaluates essential mitigation and adaptation strategies, including Sustainable Land Management (SLM), reforestation, and water management. Key policy implications are highlighted: the need for integrated land use planning, investment in SLM and resilience, addressing migration as a development challenge, strengthening governance, and bridging the knowledge-action gap. The conclusion stresses that without concerted action to mitigate climate change, halt land degradation, and adapt to impacts, these crises will escalate, risking global stability and human well-being. A paradigm shift towards sustainable, equitable, and resilient development pathways is urgently needed, alongside research into innovative financing and migration modeling.

کلیدواژه ها:

Desertification ، Climate Migration ، Environmental Degradation ، Sustainable Land Management ، Climate Change Adaptation ، Socio-Ecological Systems