Deserts and desertification links and resources

Websites Print resources Videos AusAID resources

Cool Planet: Deserts URL:  http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/ontheline/explore/nature/deserts/deserts.htm The deserts page from Oxfam's Cool Planet was orginally published as part of the 'On the Line' educational millennium project involving cultural exchange between United Kingdom and other meridian line countries: Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Algeria, Spain and France. This site includes short sections of information on climate, landscape, geography, the Sahara, plant life, animal life, conservation, facts and figures, exploration and a deserts quiz. CSIRO Centre for Arid Zone Research (CAZR) URL:  http://www.cazr.csiro.au/home.htm The CSIRO Centre for Arid Zone Research provides a research base for studying arid zone and rangeland ecology and natural resource management. It describes Australia's arid land, its biodiversity, ecology, land use and regional planning. Desert Knowledge URL:  http://www.desertknowledge.com.au/ To live and thrive in desert regions, people require particular knowledge and know-how. Australia has extensive scientific and technical knowledge as well as thousands of years of accumulated indigenous expertise and other skills relevant to desert livelihoods. The Desert Knowledge Project, part of the Northern Territory Government - Alice in Ten development initiative, is a consortium of industry, business, government and non-government parties that is establishing a knowledge-based industry relevant to arid lands. Deserts: Geology and Resources URL:  http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/contents/ The online version of a book by A.S. Walker from a series of general interest publications prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey to provide information about the earth sciences, natural resources, and the environment. Contents include: What Is a Desert? How the Atmosphere Influences Aridity; Where Deserts Form; Types of Deserts; Desert Features; Eolian Processes; Types of Dunes; Remote Sensing of Arid Lands; Mineral Resources in Deserts; and Desertification. Learning to Combat Desertification URL:  http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001258/125816e.pdf This 260 page kit has been designed by UNESCO and the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It highlights the fact that drought and desertification are worldwide problems affecting every region of the planet. Designed for upper primary school, the kit is composed of: a teacher's guide with short informative chapters and activities, a series of 12 case studies from different regions throughout the world, two cartoons: 'The School Where the Magic Tree Grows', inspired from one of the case studies and 'There is No Rug Big Enough to Sweep the Desert Under' and a poster 'Desertification in the world'. The file is very large and takes a long time to download. Making a Difference: Stories from Local Communities (UNCCD) URL:  http://www.unccd.int/publicinfo/localcommunities/stories.php This collection of stories from local communities from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification are examples of how local communities in different parts of the world have each sought to tackle the problem of land degradation and desertification in partnership with non-governmental organisations, international organisations and other institutions. UNEP Programme on Success Stories in Land Degradation URL:  http://www.unep.org/desertification/successstories/ Although desertification still remains a major environmental problem, impeding dryland development, there are also many projects and community-based initiatives which have successfully addressed these problems. This site provides links to short summaries of eighteen award-winning success stories and a more detailed summary of all the success stories.

Print resources Title: The Story of Rosy Dock Author: Jeannie Baker Description: The Story of Rosy Dock tells the story of an elderly woman who sets up house in the central Australian desert. She brings with her a beautiful red seed pods which, after floods, unexpectedly spread. Jeannie Baker's beautiful collages bring the colours and textures of the desert alive and subtly explore the environmental issues. Film Australia has produced a 10-minute animation and study guide to develop the book through a different medium. Age group: Primary Publisher: Walker Books, Australia ISBN: 0744594758 Author's website: http://www.jeanniebaker.com/ Additional resources on The Story of Rosy Dock Videos Title: The Salty Country, Australia's salinity crisis & the search for solutions Date: 1999 Description: Deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices and a naturally salty geography all contribute the loss of a football sized area of land each hour in Australia. This video uses ABC archives to look at the problems of both dry land and hydro-salinity, and through interviews with environmentalists, scientists and farmers, explores the research for a solution. 53 minutes. Age group: Year Level: Junior Secondary - University Publisher: ABC TV/Video Education Australasia Available: http://www.vea.com.au/ AusAID resources Focus articles Focus, a quarterly magazine published by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), provides a variety of items about how the Australian Government's overseas aid program addresses specific global issues. You can subscribe to Focus online or order printed copies at: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pubs.cfm?Type=PubFocus

Environmental Management Guide for Australia's Aid Program URL:  http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pubout.cfm?Id=2297_1393_1917_9648_6600 This Guide describes AusAID's environmental management system (EMS), outlines the steps to be followed in environmental assessment of activities, and the procedures for managing potential environmental impacts. The Guide describes AusAID's legal obligations under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). It also provides guidance for sustainable approaches to managing the environment and using scarce natural resources.

International Year of Deserts and Desertification posters available now