California's Central Valley conjures images of lush, green landscapes; however, it has been plagued by drought for much of the last decade. While we may have felt most of the effects of the drought on our bank accounts with rising water rates, the Central Valley has felt the effects in another way: the process of desertification. The trial has caused great concern to many in the agricultural community, but has also led to widespread concern throughout much of the developing world. Desertification is a global environmental problem that the textbook Principles of Environmental Science: Inquiry and Applications, written by William P. Cunningham and Mary Ann Cunningham, defines as the “process of converting once fertile land into desert” (140 ). This process occurs mainly in highly cultivated areas, subject to overgrazing and also in areas where water resources are scarce. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has established that this process is most harmful in “arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas” (United Nations). The above-mentioned areas that the UNCCD determined are the most concerning were “in 2000 home to one-third of the human population” and “occupied nearly half of the Earth's surface” (GreenFacts). This means that around a third of the population lives in areas with degraded soils, lacking nutrients or sufficient water supplies. Some of these areas include the surrounding parts of the Sahara Desert in Africa and much of China. The causes of desertification are the same around the world, but could be more harmful in these areas. These causes include intensive agriculture, overgrazing of animals and lack of water resources. In agriculture, “row crops […] leave the soil exposed for… half the paper… and we should not consider this a local phenomenon.” problem. To reiterate, this area has suffered from drought for much of the last decade. Water resources are becoming increasingly scarce, and cities and states are fighting for rights to running water. California is a major producer of agricultural products that feed much of the world. If desertification is allowed to remain unchecked in this area, we may one day live in desert conditions. Overall, desertification is a global problem that requires our full attention. Numerous cultures, especially in rural areas, are exposed to massive windstorms, which deteriorate the quality of food and life due to this environmental problem. There are some organizations whose common goal is to stop and reverse desertification. Ultimately, I hope that more and more people educate themselves on this topic and actively take steps to end its destruction.