Africa's Environmental Terms

arid

dry

unequal distribution of water

when some parts of a region have rivers and lakes while others do not

drought

when an area goes without rain for a long period of time

irrigation

when water is brought to farmers' fields by pipes, ditches, sprinklers, etc.

agriculture

farming crops for food

subsistence farming

raising just enough crops to support your family; not for sale

overgraze

problem occurring when grazing animals like cows and sheep eat too much of the vegetation in a dry area

deforestation

cutting down trees and other vegetation

slash and burn agriculture

cutting down the vegetation on a plot of land, setting fire to the this vegetation, and using the ashes to provide nutrients to the soil when planting food crops

poor soil

soil that doesn't have enough nutrients to grow plants

desertification

the formation and expansion of desert

sewage

human or animal waste

overpopulation

too many people in an area

water pollution

when water is dirty from parasites, sewage, garbage, or chemicals

parasites

Any kind of living thing that lives on or in another living thing. It gets its food from inside the other living thing. It sometimes hurts the other living thing.

waterborne diseases

diseases we can catch from the water

Green line of Demarcation

The place where the cultivated land ends and dessert begins

Oasis

small place where trees are able to grow and people can live with grazing animals as a few crops

Nomads

A member of a people who have no permanent home and travel from place to place to find fresh pasture and water for their livestock and example is the Tuareg people

Infrastructure

The basic physical systems of a country's population, including healthcare, roads, utilities, water and sewage