UPSC Mains 2020 GS1 Q5 — Environmental Geography
The process of desertification does not have climatic boundaries. Justify with examples. (Answer in 150 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Justify
- Scope keywords
- process of desertificationdoes not have climatic boundarieswith examples
- Implicit sub-parts
- How anthropogenic factors override natural climatic constraints (e.g., land degradation in humid regions)
- Evidence of desertification in non-arid and semi-arid zones (sub-humid or tropical regions)
- The role of policy, technology, and economic drivers in expanding desertification beyond traditional desert fringes
- Common pitfalls
- Limiting the answer to natural causes like lack of rainfall or heatwaves in existing deserts
- Failing to mention that desertification refers to 'land degradation in drylands' but is increasingly affecting high-rainfall zones like parts of North-East India or Western Ghats
- Focusing only on the Thar Desert rather than global examples or diverse ecological zones
- Neglecting the distinction between 'deserts' (a biome) and 'desertification' (a process of soil fertility loss)
- Dimensions required
- Ecological/EnvironmentalAnthropogenic/Socio-economicGeographical/SpatialPolicy/Governance
- Marks allocation hint
Spend approximately 30 words defining desertification as a process beyond mere aridity. Devote 90 words to justifying how human activities like deforestation and overgrazing trigger this in humid/sub-humid zones with specific examples like the Amazon or Meghalaya. Use the final 30 words for a concluding outlook on the UNCCD targets.
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