ABSTRACT
Over the past two decades it has become increasingly clear that many dryland areas (those areas in which productivity is limited by available moisture) are exhibiting symptoms of widespread over-use and inappropriate management. Though these problems are not new, greater attention has been turned to the ongoing degradation of the world's drylands since the Sahelian drought of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Dryland degradation involves a progressive destruction of the biological and physical resources of the land which results in a reduced usefulness of these areas to humanity. In the extreme situation, land is rendered unfit for any productive use (desertification), and rehabilitation may not be feasible given economic constraints or a reasonable time horizon.
