How can desertification cause sand dunes to move into croplands and settlements?

Desertification facilitates the movement of sand dunes into croplands and settlements primarily through the loss of vegetation and the resulting increase in wind-driven soil erosion.12

In healthy ecosystems, plant cover acts as a protective barrier that stabilizes the soil with root networks and shields the surface from wind. When desertification occurs—often driven by unsustainable land management or extended droughts—this biological productivity is reduced, leaving the land exposed.31

Without vegetation to retard wind speed near the surface, wind becomes the primary agent of transport for loose particles. Fine sand grains are lifted and moved via saltation, while coarser particles tumble along the surface. As these winds carry sand across degraded landscapes, the dunes can encroach upon and bury croplands and human settlements. To mitigate this, land managers often employ windbreaks or engage in dune stabilization, which focuses on restoring the plant communities that naturally anchor the soil and prevent dune migration.4513