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Region
Mediterranean Basin
Sub-saharan Africa
Asia and the Pacific
Americas
Estimates of Drylands a Populations by Region b
and Livelihood (in thousands)
Dry lands total pop. c
106,800
75,500
378,000
68,100
628,400
Urban based
42,000
(39%)
11,700
(15%)
106,800
(26%)
33,700
(50%)
194,200
(31%)
Livelihood populations in dry lands
Cropping based
60,000
(57%)
46,800
(62%)
260,400
(69%)
29,300
(43%)
397,100
(63%)
a Meigs classification (1953) including extremely arid, arid, and semi-arid area.
b Groupings as designated by UNEP Governing Council for regional meetings.
c Total world population was estimated to be 3.85 billion in 1974.
Animal based
42,004
(4%)
17,000
(23%)
10,300
(3%)
5,100
(7%)
37,100
(6%)
Source: United Nations Conference of Desertification, Secretariat, Desertification: Its Causes and Consequences,
Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Table 8.1