Humans and the Sahara

When I was writing the Drylands chapter for the CUP 'A' level textbook that I edited, I wrote a section on how the desert has changed over longer time periods.
We are used to thinking perhaps that the desert has 'always' been there... but all ecosystems develop over time, and tectonic drift means that all locations were once a long way from where they are now.
This WEF report has some interesting detail on the way that humans have shaped the desert, and led to its creation.
A reminder of the connections that are always there between people and the environment. Is any landscape entirely 'natural'?

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