Deserts and Desertification Risk
WorldPhysical EnvironmentDeserts and areas of the world at risk for desertification because of factors such as climate shift, drought, overgrazing, and land degradation. The various classifications were determined by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
USDAA map illustrates deserts and desertification risks globally, using color coding to indicate different levels of risk: moderate (blue), high (dark blue), very high (pink), and desert-dry regions (orange).
Desert - Dry Regions (Orange): North America: Southwest U.S., including parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas. South America: Coastal deserts in Peru and northern Chile. Africa: The Sahara Desert stretching across northern Africa, the Namib Desert along the southwestern coast, and parts of southern Africa. Asia: Arabian Peninsula, central Iran, and vast areas in Central Asia, including the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and China. Australia: Large parts of central and western Australia. Very High Risk (Pink): North America: Parts of the western U.S., including regions in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Africa: Bordering the Sahara Desert in countries like Algeria, Libya, and Egypt; and parts of southern Africa. Asia: Areas in central Asia, particularly in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and parts of northern China. Australia: Northern and eastern regions, adjacent to the central desert areas. High Risk (dark blue): North America: Some areas in the western U.S. South America: Areas adjacent to coastal deserts in Peru and northern Chile. Africa: Areas south of the Sahara Desert, including parts of Mali, Niger, Chad, and Sudan; and regions in southern Africa. Asia: Regions surrounding the very high-risk areas in central Asia and northern China. Australia: Areas surrounding the very high-risk zones. Moderate Risk (Blue): North America: Broader areas in the western U.S., including parts of the Midwest. South America: Regions in Argentina and adjacent to high-risk areas in Peru and Chile. Africa: Broader regions in the Sahel zone south of the Sahara, including Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria; and areas in eastern and southern Africa. Asia: Parts of the Arabian Peninsula, central and northern Iran, central Asia, and northern China. Australia: Surrounding the high-risk and very high-risk zones, indicating a gradual transition in desertification risk.
Deserts and Desertification Risk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Moderate | High | Very High | Desert - Dry Regions | |
| 1.86% | ||||
| 4.58% | 2.91% | 9.51% | 4.95% | |
| 2.52% | 7.35% | 30.8% | 59.1% | |
| 2.31% | 30.5% | |||
| 5.18% | 5.94% | 1.92% | 1.05% | |
| 16.5% | 11.9% | 10.8% | ||
| 11.3% | 5.72% | 4.10% | 12.2% | |
| 1.22% | 5.24% | 92.9% | ||
| 5.96% | 1.46% | 11.7% | 9.60% | |
| 19.6% | 5.24% | 9.49% | 20.7% | |
| 19.0% | 2.57% | 2.44% | ||
| 8.30% | 16.0% | 15.2% | 72.0% | |
| 21.4% | 16.2% | 6.96% | 47.0% | |