[Long Ago] Property Rights and Desertification in North Africa

North Africa, where Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia are located, is now mostly desert, but it is said that during the period of Roman rule it was fertile land thick with trees. Even before the Roman era, Mesopotamian civilization was originally a hydraulic civilization based on irrigation, so even deserts were often turned into rich farmland.

Why, then, did this land become desert as it is today? At first, people thought it was due to natural climate change unrelated to human activity. Gradually, however, the explanation that desertification progressed because of flawed human institutions has gained persuasive force.

For irrigation to take place, property rights must be clearly established. Pumping river water or groundwater and transporting it over long distances requires enormous investment, and if the investing landowner cannot enjoy the returns from that investment, no one will invest in making the land fertile. The reason this region could be fertile 1,000 years ago was that Rome respected the property rights of landowners and investors.

Unfortunately, the Arab and Ottoman rulers who took power from Rome did not recognize the property rights of their citizens. It was so bad that generals going off to war could not leave their gold and silver treasures at home and had to carry them to the battlefield themselves. Since all land belonged to the king, rights of use could be reclaimed by the state at any time. As a result, no one invested in bringing in water to make the land fertile.

In a situation where land property rights were not guaranteed, the most profitable economic activity was nomadism. Among the available options, goat herding was especially suitable because goats have strong appetites and great vitality. But goats have the characteristic of even grazing on short grass, so as their numbers increased, the land became devastated and eventually turned into desert.

It is said that the Roman irrigation facilities from 1,000 years ago excavated by archaeologists in this region were in such condition that they could still be restored today. This is strong evidence showing that the region did not become desert because of a lack of water, but because humans devastated the land when property rights were not protected.

Original title: [옛날옛적에 ] 재산권과 북아프리카의 사막화

Author: Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

Date: 2006-06-22

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=column&pn=21&idx=10669