Caravan 23: Special Issue on International Year of Deserts and Desertification

Desertification: Heading for Catastrophe?
Desertification is a growing threat worldwide. Two prerequisites for successful interventions: ensure the local community is fully involved, and combine modern technologies with local knowledge. What are the issues involved; what is the international scientific community doing to combat desertification; and what are the prospects for the future?
Protection Money:a New Approach to Rangeland Management
Degradation of natural resources affects not only those who directly use these resources, but many others as well. Solution? Pay users to use resources more sustainably. This article explains how such a scheme could work for communally managed rangelands, and what implementation problems need to be overcome.
Restoring Soil Fertility in Dry Areas
Soil fertility decline is a major problem in dry areas worldwide, and an important factor in desertification. To restore and manage soil fertility, researchers look at the various components of the entire crop-soil-water system – soil nutrients, livestock, micro-organisms, weather, and others – and the complex inter-relationships between them.