Uncertain Future Most of the Sahara does not support much life. Yet, about four million people live there today. Some move from place to place. Others live in places where food and water are plentiful, such as oases. What does the future hold for the


Sahara? No one knows. One thing is certain, though. T is desert isn’t fi nished with change. For many years, the Sahara has expanded


southward. Yet scientists are now seeing signs that some parts of the Sahara and nearby regions are becoming greener due to increasing rainfall. Increases in vegetation have also been


observed in central Chad and western Sudan. If this continues, the rains could bring regions destroyed by drought back to life and once again, bring change to the Sahara.


The Ubari oasis in Libya is located in one of the sunniest and driest areas in the world.


WORDWISE climate: the usual weather that occurs in a


place, including average temperature and amounts of wind and rain


desert: a place that gets less than 25 centimeters of rain or snow a year


desertification: the change from grassland to desert


erosion: the process in which rock is moved from one place to another


landform: a natural feature on Earth’s surface


oasis: a green, fertile area surrounded by a desert


weathering: the process in which rocks are broken into smaller pieces


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