| 2006 The International Year of Deserts and Desertification | |
| Australia: Our Dry Continent | |
Official web sites for the International Year of Deserts and Desertification
International Year of Deserts and Desertification - UNESCO site
http://www.iydd.org/International Year of Deserts and Desertification - from Department of the Environment and Heritage
http://www.deh.gov.au/events/iydd/National Science Week - information site, theme for 2006 is Australia: The Dry Continent
http://www.scienceweek.info.auGeneral
Resources for School Libraries - for The International Year of Deserts and Desertification from the International Association of School Librarians
http://www.iasl-slo.org/deserts.htmlDeserts
Deserts: Geology and Resources - from United States Geological Survey
Africa and Middle East
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/North AmericaThe living desert – the wildlife of Saudi Arabia - from Saudi Arabia fact File
http://www.exploresaudiarabia.com/factfile/file04.htmLearn about Arabia: Adapt & survive - series of 6 worksheets about the Arabian desert with teachers' notes, from Explore Saudi Arabia
http://www.exploresaudiarabia.com/learn/adapt/as_default.htmDesert Plants & Wildflowers - from Desert
USA
http://www.desertusa.com/flora.htmlDesert Animals & Wildlife - from Desert USA
http://www.desertusa.com/animal.htmlDesert Plant Adaptations - general information from Desert USA
http://www.desertusa.com/du_plantsurv.htmlDesert Animal Survival - general information from Desert USA
http://www.desertusa.com/survive.htmlDesertification
Learning to Combat Desertification - an extensive resource (260 pages) to teach about desertification. This teaching kit from UNESCO and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification includes background information on the causes and effects of desertification and possible solutions. Each topic has a short description and suggested classroom activities. There are a number of case studies from around the world were progress is being made in restoring land. There are also classroom materials such as story books, cartoons and posters. All sections of the teaching guide are supprted with glossaries.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001258/125816e.pdfThe Basic facts - from from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
http://www.unccd.entico.com/english/basicfacts.htmDown to Earth - A simplied guide to the Convention to Combat Desertification (PDF), from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
http://www.unccd.entico.com/pdfs/publications/downtoearth.pdf"Making a difference" - Stories from Local Communities - some short case histories, from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, download in pdf
http://www.unccd.int/publicinfo/localcommunities/stories.php
also available online
http://www.unccd.entico.com/english/mak-diff.htmFacts and Figures: Desertification and Drought - from UNESCO
http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=5137&URL_DO=DO_PRINTPAGE&URL_SECTION=201.htmlFact Sheets on UNCCD - from United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, topics include Causes of Desertification and Consequences of Desertification
http://www.unccd.int/publicinfo/factsheets/menu.phpPoints of View: Desertification - a series of observations from a variety of sources, from New Agriculturist Online
http://www.new-agri.co.uk/00-6/pov.htmlDesertification - from The Physical Environment, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/biogeography/desertification.htmlDesertification - from United States Geological Survey
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/desertification/What causes desertification? - from Desertification, Drought, Poverty and Agriculture: A Research Consortium
http://www.ddpa.net/what-causes.htmDesertification, drought and their consequences - from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/sustdev/EPdirect/EPan0005.htmDesertification: the scourge of Africa - by Michael Bernard Kwesi Darkoh, a leading authority on desertification issues and Professor of Geography at Kenyatta University
http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/tiempo/issue08/desert.htmDesertification: Earth's Silent Scourge - an Issue in Focus, from USInfo
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/desertific/Desertification in Arid Lands - from Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University
http://www.ciesin.org/docs/002-193/002-193.htmlDesertification fact sheet - the Australian scene, from Community Activist Technology
http://www.cat.org.au/wed/desert-fact.htmlThe Desertification of Australia - from Central Queensland University
http://humanities.cqu.edu.au/geography/GEOG11024/week_6.htmDesertification in Africa, Asia and Australia: Causes, consequences, solutions - by Williams, Martin, University of Adelaide, from Atlas Conference
http://atlas-conferences.com/cgi-bin/abstract/camu-33Australian Actions to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation - from Department of the Environment and Heritage
http://www.deh.gov.au/land/publications/actions/domestic3.htmlMan-Induced Desertification? - from United Nations University
Case Study: Aral Sea
http://www.unu.edu/unupress/lecture12.htmlState of Environment of the Aral Sea Basin - from Environment in Central AsiaDesert Channel, Queensland
http://enrin.grida.no/aral/aralsea/index.htmThe Aral Sea Home Page - from German Remote Sensing Data Center DFD
http://www.dfd.dlr.de/app/land/aralsee/index.htmlThe Aral Sea Area Desertification Change-Detection Study - from San Diego State University
http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/facilities/carre/carre_study.htmlTHE ARAL SEA - from Visualising Earth, University of California, San Diego
http://visearth.ucsd.edu/VisE_Int/aralsea/South Aral Sea 'gone in 15 years' - an article from New Scientist
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3947THE ARAL SEA: BACK FROM THE BRINK? - from UNESCO
http://www.unesco.org/courier/2000_01/uk/planete/txt1.htm"Desertification" of the Sahel-- Exploring the Role of Property Rights - an Economists view from Freedom Works
http://www.freedomworks.org/informed/issues_template.php?issue_id=1793From the Dust Bowl to the Sahel - from NASA
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/DustBowl/ARCTIC TO ARAL - one proposed solution from Ecoworld
http://www.ecoworld.com/Home/Articles2.cfm?TID=378Case Study: SahelDesert Channels Report Card - from Department of Natural Resources
http://www.nrm.gov.au/state/qld/desert-channels/publications/report-card/Desertification - a threat to the Sahel - from the Eden Foundation
http://www.eden-foundation.org/project/desertif.htmlAustralia: Our Dry Continent
Australian DesertsAustralia's Arid Lands - from CRC Centre for Arid Zone Research, CSIRO
http://www.cazr.csiro.au/aridlands.htmAustralia - Climate of Our Continent - from Bureau of Meteorology
http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/ausclim/zones.htmAustralia - Climate of Our Continent - from Bureau of Meteorology, pdf file of above
http://www.bom.gov.au/info/leaflets/ourcont.pdfExtremes: Survival in the Great Deserts of the Southern Hemisphere - a special exhibition at the national Museum of Australia, with accompanying teaching kit and fact sheets
http://www.nma.gov.au/schools/school_resources/free_resources_temporary_exhibitions/extremes/What is a desert? - includes adaptations of plants and animals, from National Museum of Australia
http://www.nma.gov.au/libraries/attachments/schools/resources/extremes/extremes_kit_science/files/9087/Extremes%20kit%20science.pdfAustralian rivers going down the drain - from ABC Landline program
http://www.abc.net.au/news/features/river/paroo3.htmAustralia's rivers - a special feature from Environment 2003, Australian Bureau of Statistics
http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/a301124cdaa05be4ca256cae001599c5?OpenDocumentDesert - Supplementary information - Australian desert plants and animals and their adaptations, from SA Museum
http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/water/tesdes2.htmDesert Biome - includes Desert Plants & Desert Animals from Kid Cyber, Australian content
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomedes2.htmBiomes: Deserts - from Exploring the Environment, Classroom of the Future
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/desert.htmlWebQuests and other online activitiesDeserts - from Geosciences Australia
http://www.ga.gov.au/education/facts/landforms/geogarea.htmFacts about Desert Australia - from Desert Knowledge and Desert Knowledge Australia CRC
Simpson Desert
http://www.desertknowledge.com.au/dka/documents/Facts%20about%20Desert%20Australia.pdfSimpson Desert, Australia - from Kid Cyber
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/Simpsdest.htmSimpson desert (AA1308) - from National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/aa/aa1308.htmlChannel Country - Biodiversity - from National Parks and Wildlife
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Channel+Country+-+biodiversitySimpson-Strzelecki Dunefields - from National Parks and Wildlife
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Simpson-Strzelecki+Dunefields+-+biodiversityDesert Channels Report Card - from Department of Natural Resources
http://www.nrm.gov.au/state/qld/desert-channels/publications/report-card/A Desertification WebQuest - from New Mexico State UniversityOnline Publications
http://education.nmsu.edu/webquest/wq/deserti/Desertification.htmlThe Living Desert: Wildlife Park - a webquest for Primary aged children, from East Side Union High School Educators
http://teacher.esuhsd.org/webquests/webquests/living_desert/WQ055.htmlWhere will the Sahara be in 100 years? - a WebQuest from Shelby County Schools, Tennessee
http://www.scs.k12.tn.us/STT2000_wq/9-12/mullisb/default.htmEcoQuest: Desert Edition: An Interactive WebQuest - a WebQuest, American content could be modified for Australian use
http://members.aol.com/QuestSite/1/Desertification in Developing Countries - from Geographical Web Enquiries, Staffordshire Learning Net
http://www.sln.org.uk/geography/enquiry/we32a.htmThe Desertification Debate - from Peace Corps, World Wise Schools
http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/guides/senegal/debate.htmlLearning to Combat Desertification - an extensive resource (260 pages) to teach about desertification. This teaching kit from UNESCO and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification includes background information on the causes and effects of desertification and possible solutions. Each topic has a short description and suggested classroom activities. There are a number of case studies from around the world were progress is being made in restoring land. There are also classroom materials such as story books, cartoons and posters. All sections of the teaching guide are supprted with glossaries.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001258/125816e.pdfTackling Land Degradation and Desertification - from the International Fund for Agricultural Development
http://www.ifad.org/events/wssd/gef/GEF_eng.pdf