The Sahara desert faces many problems. One of the main reasons that it has such a small population (2 million people) is due to the little rainfall it receives. Being the size of the United States, and one of the hottest places on earth, lots of Desertication happens. The weather is very unpredictable, one week it could rain twice, and then not rain for another few years. The average amount of rainfall is less than 3 inches! This makes it very hard to survive. Also, depending on the amount of rainfall, the desert can grow bigger or smaller

The more trees and other plants get cut down, the less rainfall there is. It also increases airborne dust, which makes the air hotter, making it more difficult for rain clouds to form.

The few plants in the Sahara are also having trouble. Animals are eaten a lot of them! Also, firewood is needed in the countries the Sahara desert covers. The firewood is used 30% faster than it is produced!

Many harmful insects such as the Desert Locust, harm peoples homes and food. This sometimes requires people to move into a new town or city. Sometimes the temperature will become hotter, causing some harmful diseases, such as malaria, sleeping sickness, and more.

The Sahara does receive very little rainfall, but it has some scattered oases that help keep civilization alive.