ABSTRACT
Desertification is one of the most serious problems facing the world today. Large parts of the dry areas that cover more than one-third of the earth's land surface are being degraded, with serious effects on the environment, food production, and the lives of millions of people. Desertification, characterized by the degradation of soil and vegetative cover, can occur in any dry area, not just on the fringes of natural deserts. It is a global phenomenon, affecting both developed and developing nations, and is a particular problem in Africa, the Middle East, India and Pakistan, China, Australia, the USSR, the USA, Latin American countries such as Brazil and Chile, and European countries such as Greece, Spain and Portugal.
