Africa is losing 4 percent to 12 percent of it agricultural gross domestic product to environmental degradation such as desertification and drought, according to a study published in April.
The study, “The Economics of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought: Methodologies and Analysis for Decision-Making,” was presented during the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) 2nd Scientific Conference in Germany.
The direct economic costs of land degradation vary widely from country to country.
The social costs are also staggering. In East Africa nearly 3.7 million people need food assistance due to the drought of 2011, the study states.
Read the rest at The Observer.
