Why massive tree plantation drives are a disaster for desert ecosystems

Celebrating World day to combat desertification and drought it is important to remember that deserts are unique ecosystems.

In India, deserts vary in structure and function, be it the saline desert of the Kutch landscape in Gujarat, the vast dunes of Rajasthan, or the cold desert of the Himalayas. Using the term desert as a synonym for degradation is an injustice to these unique landscapes around the world. Greening the desert is akin to degrading the desert. Not all brown is bad, and not all green is good.