NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A massive drought had affected the Sahel, the large 5, 400-km strip that crosses Africa from west to east, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. The land was left without water and without a blade of grass, and the inhabitants of this vast area of four million km², mostly shepherds, saw all their livestock die.

Detailed explanation-2: -It stretches across the African continent from the Atlantic Ocean eastward to the Red Sea. Rainfall-or more specifically, the absence of significant rainfall-is a significant challenge for farmers in the Sahel. Droughts periodically cause severely reduced crop yields.

Detailed explanation-3: -Scant and unreliable rainfall and poor soils make the land difficult to farm, so for centuries, many people have raised livestock instead, moving their herds periodically to find fresh pastures and allow the land to recover.

Detailed explanation-4: -Desertification in the Sahel can largely be attributed to greatly increased numbers of humans and their grazing cattle.

Detailed explanation-5: -Once the soil is depleted of moisture and nutrients, it is susceptible to being blown away by the wind before it can recover. Similarly, herders in the Sahel have increased the size of their herds so that they can sell their animals. The result is many more animals than usual grazing on a limited amount of land.