The camel is used for several purposes throughout the Middle East and India. It is used as a beast of burden for transporting goods and people as well as for providing milk. Milk is often the only regular food source for its owners. The camel's meat, wool and leather are also widely utilized. In arid zones the camel is a better provider of food than the cow, which is severely affected by the heat, scarcity of water and feed. Following a decrease in the world camel population between 1950 and 1980, there has been a recent resurgence of camels in the past decade due to several factors. Mainly an increasing demand for milk and meat as a result of rising population has helped fuel the resurgence of the camel. Additionally, scientists predict that the desertification of larger swathes of land in the region is also impacting the need for more camels as pack and work animals where the cost of fuel is sometimes high.