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Episode 1

Some experts now argue that some deserts could get greener. In programme one, Ayisha Yahya looks at the implications for traditional nomadic desert communities such as the Tuareg in northern Mali.

Ayisha Yahya explores climate change arguments in a three part series recorded on location in Mali, Namibia and Egypt.

In Egypt scientists are experimenting with high-tech techniques to make the desert bloom. Boston University's Farouk El-Baz has successfully used satellite imaging. His aim is to find ancient groundwater in the deserts of Africa and the Middle East.

Farouk's radar exploration of the Egyptian Sahara eventually resulted in the drilling of about 500 new wells, all of which are still pumping water today. About 100,000 acres of Saharan desert have been cultivated in this area.

The Egyptian government is keen to encourage people to move to the desert. They want to press ahead with a controversial plan to reclaim a further 3.4 million acres of desert over the next 10 years.

Ayisha Yahaya asks, is this plan practical or sustainable or might it ultimately backfire?

25 minutes

Last on

Sat 4 Jul 2009 01:05GMT

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