While much desertification is attributed to poor land use practices, hotter and drier conditions would extend the area prone to desertification northwards to encompass areas currently not at risk. In addition, the rate of desertification would increase due to increases in erosion, salinisation and fire hazard and reductions in soil quality. As a result, the process of desertification is likely to become irreversible.

The increasing temperatures attributed to climate change, are also bound to reduce the available water content in soil hence leading to increased soil salinity and alkalinity which will in turn accelerate the desertification process. This situation is exacerbated by the likely increased frequency of extreme events with heavy spells of rainfall and flash floods.

The economic and human costs of an increase in desertification would be tremendous - even today; the annual costs of desertification in Tunisia and Spain are US$100 million and US$200 million, respectively.