Soil Conservation Practices and Efforts Made to Combat Desertification in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is in the hyper-arid desert environment where evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation and Aridic (L. aridus, dry) and Torric (L. torridus, hot) moisture regimes have been identified. The soils are dominantly sandy “Entisols” and highly vulnerable to wind erosion leading to loss of fertile soil and organic matter and exposure of hard pans. These sandy landscapes need attention for their conservation to obtain ecosystem services. Wind erosion is considered the main land degradation factor. Other land degradation indicators identified are, soil salinization (coastal land and agricultural farms), plant roots exposure, surface armor layer, loss of fertile soil and organic matter etc.