The advance of desertification in Brazil is frightening not only because of the large areas affected but above all because of the lack of concrete actions to combat the problem. It is estimated that over the next twenty years U$2.8 billion will be needed to recover degraded land. This is money the Brazilian government cannot afford, but which it hopes to obtain through the help of rich nations and international financial organisations. In order to do so, however, it must show political willingness to prioritise desertification. This is something that the desertification experts say has never been seriously considered.

" The Brazilian authorities themselves do not recognise the importance and implications of desertification for the semiarid region. This would be the first step for any action to combat the phenomenon" criticises UFPI professor and president of the Desert Institute Waldemar Rodrigues. He recognises that in the case of desertification, many years of investment would be necessary before the first results begin to appear. He explains, "The problem is that if nothing is done now, the damage will be much greater".

The professor’s warning is based on the real current situation of the Sertão, where almost 18 million people live – the densest population in a semiarid region in the world. The residents themselves are the ones who most contribute to the advance of desertification. Cultivation is carried out in an inadequate manner using products that deplete the soil. Techniques such as burning are used indiscriminately; destroying the nutrients that sustain what is left of the Caatinga.

It is estimated that around 500 thousand tonnes of soil are lost annually due to erosion. This excludes the sedimentation of rivers (where a large proportion of the eroded lands end up) and the loss of vegetation and bio-diversity. "In many parts of the semiarid region the soil is so badly degraded that not even wild grass grows" states the UFPI professor.

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