ABSTRACT
Land degradation manifests itself in many ways. Vegetation, which may provide fuel and fodder, becomes increasingly scarce. Water courses dry up. Thorny weeds predominate in once-rich pastures. Footpaths disappear into gullies. Soils become thin and stony. All of these manifestations have potentially severe impacts for land users and for people who rely for their living on the products of a healthy landscape. These perceptions of land degradation are the typical views of observers concerned about a deteriorating environment and the declining livelihoods of land users.
