DESERTIFICATION IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM Copyright © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger B.V., Lisse, The Netherlands PROCEEDINGS OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, DUBAI, 12–15 FEBRUARY 2000 Desertification in the Third Millennium Edited by: Abdulrahman S. Alsharhan United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates E-mail: Copyright © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger B.V., Lisse, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication or the information contained herein may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written prior permission from the publisher. Although all care is taken to ensure the integrity and quality of this publication and the information herein, no responsibility is assumed by the publishers nor the author for any damage to property or persons as a result of operation or use of this publication and/or the information contained herein. Published by: A.A. Balkema Publishers, a member of Swets & Zeitlinger Publishers www.balkema.nl and www.szp.swets.nl ISBN 90 5809 571 1 Copyright © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger B.V., Lisse, The Netherlands Table of Contents Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IX Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XI PART 1. Desertification and Global Climatic Change David S.G. Thomas Into the Third Millennium: The Role of Stakeholder Groups in Reducing Desertification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Andrew S. Goudie The Impacts of Global Warming on the Geomorphology of Arid Lands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Victor R. Squires Desertification, Climate Change and the World’s Drylands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Shaw-Wen Sheen, George A. Brook, Bruce L. Railsback and Jean C. Thill Stalagmite Annual Layer Thickness as a Proxy for Enso and Rainfall: Evidence from Drotsky’s Cave, Botswana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Christopher G.ST.C. Kendall, Paul Lake, Dalton H. Weathers III, Venkat Lakshmi, John Althausen and Abdulrahman S. Alsharhan Evidence of Rain Shadow in the Geologic Record: Repeated Evaporite Accumulation at Extensional and Compressional Plate Margins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Stephen Stokes, Andrew S. Goudie, Alison Colls and Asma Al-Farraj Optical Dating as a Tool for Studying Dune Reactivation, Accretion Rates and Desertification Over Decadal, Centennial and Millennial Time-Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Venkat Lakshmi, Christopher G.ST.C. Kendall, John Althausen and Abdulrahman S. Alsharhan Studies of Local Climate Change in United Arab Emirates Using Satellite Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Walid A. Abderrahman and Ibrahim M. Al-Harazin The Impacts of Global Climatic Change on Reference Crop Evapotranspiration, Irrigation Water Demands, Soil Salinity, and Desertification in Arabian Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Adrian M. Harvey The Response of Dry-region Alluvial Fans to Quaternary Climatic Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Christopher G.ST.C. Kendall, Venkat Lakshmi, John Althausen and Abdulrahman S. Alsharhan Changes in Microclimate Tracked by the Evolving Vegetation Cover of the Holocene Beach Ridges of the United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Daryoush Mehrshahi, David S.G. Thomas and Sarah O’Hara Late Quaternary Palaeoenvironmental Changes, Ardakan Kavir (Playa), Central Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Werner Smykatz-Kloss, Bernd Roscher and Konard Rögner Pleistocene Lakes in Central Sinai, Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Ronald J. Spencer, Wenbo Yang, Sheila M. Roberts and H. Roy Krouse Hydrology and Climate Change (200 to 100 ka), Death Valley, California, USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Desertification in the Third Millennium. Edited by A.S. Alsharhan, W.W. Wood, A.S. Goudie, A. Fowler and E.M. Abdellatif. © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger Publishers, Lisse, The Netherlands, ISBN 90 5809 571 1, p. V–VIII. Copyright © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger B.V., Lisse, The Netherlands Navin Juyal, Amal Kar, S.N. Rajaguru and A.K. Singvi Chronostratigraphic Evidence for Episodes of Desertification since the Last Glacial Epoch in the Southern Margin of Thar Desert, India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 PART 2. Biodiversity, Mangroves and other Halophytes and their Conservation Ecosystems John M. Peacock, Ghalib A. Alhadrami, M.E. Ferguson, R. Karnik, Ian R. McCann and Ali Saleh Desert Forages of the Arabian Peninsula – The Conservation and Utilization of Biodiversity for Sustainable Animal Production in the United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Ahmed S. Khalil, Urlich Saint-Paul and Eisa M. Abdellatif Response of Meiofauna to Mangrove Degradation in a Dry Semi-Desert Coastal Habitat of the Red Sea (Sudan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 J.C. Dagar Biodiversity of Indian Saline Habitats and Management & Utilization of High Salinity Tolerant Plants with Industrial Application for Rehabilitation of Saline Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Fatima Al-Ansari and Ali A. El-Keblawy An Analysis of Biodiversity of the United Arab Emirates Flora Using Western’s Flora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Ghalib A. Alhadrami, Abdullah J. Al-Dakheel, Mahmoud M. Khorshid, Saleh A. Al-Sharaby and Mohamed H. Abdel Gawad Feeding Camels and Sheep Sporobolus Grass Grown in Saline Desert Lands in the United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Abdullah A. Jaradat Halophytes for Sustainable Biosaline Farming Systems in the Middle East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Vishnu P. Singh Biodiversity, Community Pattern and Status of Indian Mangroves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Ali A. El-Keblawy Effects of Protection from Grazing on Species Diversity, Abundance and Productivity in Two Regions of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Muhammad Asif Khan and Nasser A. Al-Homaid Remote Sensing Study on Mangrove Depletion Tarut Bay, Saudi Arabia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 PART 3. The Effect of Wind and Water on Soil Erosion and Sand Creep Hans-Jörg Barth Late Holocene Sedimentation Processes Along the Arabian Gulf Coast in the Jubail Area, Saudi Arabia . . . . 237 Belnap Jayne, Sue Phillips, Mike Duniway and Rich Reynolds Soil Fertility in Deserts: A Review on the Influence of Biological Soil Crusts and the Effect of Soil Surface Disturbance on Nutrient Inputs and Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Larry Boersma and J. Baham Aspects of the Role of Biogeochemical Processes in Soils in the Global Carbon Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 VI Copyright © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger B.V., Lisse, The Netherlands Yann Callot Relations Between Wind Data and Geomorphology in Aeolian Sand Geodynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Richard Reynolds, Marith Reheis, Pat Chavez, Jr., Todd Hinkley, Richard Tigges, Gary Clow, David MacKinnon, Paul Lamothe, Nicholas Lancaster, Mark Miller, James Yount, Miguel Velasco, Stuart Sides, Deborah Soltesz, Greg Meeker, Robert Fulton and Jayne Belnap Dust Emission and Deposition in the Southwestern United States – Integrated Field, Remote Sensing, and Modeling Studies to Evaluate Response to Climatic Variability and Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Robert H. Webb and Kathryn A. Thomas Recoverability of Severely Disturbed Soils and Vegetation in the Mojave Desert, California, USA . . . . . . . . . . . 283 Giles F.S. Wiggs, Sarah L. O’Hara and B.K. Mamedov Wind Erosion and Dust Deposition in the Aral Sea Region: Possible Consequences of Unsustainable Human Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Jasem M. Al-Awadhi, Ali Al-Dousari and Abdullah Al-Enezi Barchan Dunes in Northern Kuwait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299 Saleh Al-Muzaini Environmental Measures to Control Sand Movement in Kuwait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 PART 4. Land Degradation and Management in Arid, Semi-Arid and Dry Sub-Humid Areas William R. Stanley Herero, German and Afrikaner in Arid and Semi-Arid Eastern Namibia: Comparative Technologies for Water Use and Conservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 Ruth Schofield Soil Salinity as a Degradation Process in Spain and Tunisia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 Migdam E. Abdelgani, A.G. Osman and S.S. Mohamed Restoring Soil Fertility of Desertified Lands Through Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Sudan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 Khaled R. Ben-Mahmoud, Shaban Mansur and A. Al-Gomati Land Degradation and Desertification in Libya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 Shabbir A. Shahid, Samira A.S. Omar, Raafat Misak and H. Abo Rizq Land Resource Stresses and Degradation in the Arid Environment of Kuwait: An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 Elnur Abdalla Elsiddig Management of Dry Land Forest Reserves in Sudan Based on Participatory Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 Banaras Hussain Niazi and Jelte Rozema Introduction of Non-conventional Salt Tolerant Crops Under Salt Affected Arable Land in Pakistan . . . . . . . . . 365 PART 5. Policies and Cost/Benefit for Combating Land Degradation and Desertification Fouad Kanbour The International Convention on Desertification: the Preservation of Indigenous Technologies in Arab Countries of West Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 Scott Christiansen Lessons from Rural Development of Relevance to Desertification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 VII Copyright © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger B.V., Lisse, The Netherlands Adel El-Beltagy Sustainable Management of Rangelands and Agricultural Systems of the Drylands: The ICARDA Experience in Combating Desertification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 Ahmed A.R. Elagib Can Science and Technology Help to Initiate Natural Regreening of the Arabian Peninusula? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399 Mahlagha Ghorbanli and A. Motamed The Desert Environment in Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407 PART 6. Application of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) to Study Desertification John D. Althausen, Jr., Christopher G.ST.C. Kendall, Venkat Lakshmi, Abdulrahman S. Alsharhan and Gregory L. Whittle Using Satellite Imagery and GIS in the Mapping of Coastal Landscapes in an Arid Environment: Khor Al Bazam, Western Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415 Zeinelabidin S. Rizk and Abdulrahman S. Alsharhan Geographical Information System Modeling of Groundwater Potentiality in the Northeastern Part of the United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423 Andy Y. Kwarteng, Raafat F. Misak and Mohammed A. Al-Sudairawi Radarsat Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Imagery Observation of Sand Dunes in Kuwait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435 Osman Mirghani Mohamed Ali and El Tayeb Osman Adam Application of Remote Sensing for the Assessment of Environmental Changes in Western Kordofan State (Sudan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445 Mansouri Taoufik, Boussema M. Rached, Albergel Jean and Chaibi Najeh Application of Remote Sensing and GIS to Study Erosion in Tunisia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453 Ibrahim S. Ibrahim, M.M. Ahmed, M.A. Mustafa and Mustafa A. El Hag Preliminary Study of Sand Erosion in South Khartoum Area, Sudan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461 PART 7. Groundwater Resources in Desert Areas Mohammed Saqar Al Asam Groundwater Situation in the United Arab Emirates: An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 Mohammed Rasheeduddin, W.A. Abderrahman and John W. Lloyd Sustainable Development of a Depletable Aquifer: A Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477 Khaled Hadi and M. Al-Senafy Suitability of Groundwater for Irrigation in Kuwait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487 VIII Copyright © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger B.V., Lisse, The Netherlands Preface The Desertification Conference entitled “Toward Better Management of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands in the Twenty-First Century” was convened in Dubai, UAE, during 12–16 February 2000, under the auspices of the Zayed International Prize for the Environment. This volume contains a representative selection of 53 of the original 125 oral presentations at the conference, which contributed to the following objectives: • to enhance our understanding of local, regional, and global short and long-term environmental changes; • to convey best practices associated with the ecological management of arid areas; and • to improve our general understanding of desert environments as we are approaching the third millennium. The papers are distributed among the following themes: 1. Desertification and global climatic change 2. Biodiversity in mangrove and halophyte ecosystems 3. The effect of wind and water on soil erosion and sand creep 4. Land degradation and management in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas 5. Policies and cost/benefits for combating land degradation and desertification 6. Application of remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) to desertification studies 7. Groundwater resources in desert areas Desertification is land degradation in dry land environments resulting from such factors as climatic variation and human activities. It is the outcome of the interactions between human land-use practices and a dynamic, uncertain environment. If global warming predictions are realized, the environments of desert areas and their margins are likely to be profoundly affected. Global warming may lead to changes in soil moisture availability following changes in both precipitation and evapotranspiration rates caused by the temperature rise itself. The global climate is ever changing, however, global warming does not result in every point on the surface of the earth experiencing an increase in surface temperature. There is a need to study climate on local spatial scales in order to understand its variability in time. This change is an integrated effect of natural climate variability and human-induced changes. Protection and habitat preservation initiatives offer the best solutions for biodiversity conservation in the face of desertifi- cation and loss of rangelands to agriculture. Both dryland and wetland reserves have provides effective protection for rare, endangered, and endemic species. Mangroves are one of the dominant features of the shores of tropical coun- tries. Ecologically, they have been considered an important component of coastal ecosystems. Biodiversity and the mangrove ecosystem are closely related to diversity of coastal bio-climatic, geological and sociological con- ditions; frequency of inundation; circulation pattern; and water quality of coastal areas. Land degradation, deser- tification, and deforestation are considered to be major environmental problems in many countries of the world. The major causes for desertification were recognized as natural environmental factors and manmade causes. Unsustainable irrigation practices, overgrazing, uncontrolled cultivation, wood-gathering for fuel, salinization, and water logging are cited as the main activities that contribute to the degradation of land area in the region. The Dubai International Conference on Desertification has focused on an issue that affects most of the world’s population, directly or indirectly. It is of paramount importance in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, and America and is closely tied to the vicious cycle of poverty and environmental deterioration. The Zayed International Prize for the Environment fully sponsored and organized this conference. This Prize is a non-profit organization aiming to promote and encourage outstanding and pioneering environmental achieve- ments in line with the environment and development vision and philosophy of the dedicated environmentalist, H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates. Founded by General H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defense Minister, the Zayed International Prize for the Environment, is more than a prize – it is a foundation which endeavors to promote sustainable development through various environmental initiatives. In addition to adminis- tering the prestigious Prize of one million dollars, this foundation also organizes regional and international con- ferences and forums on specific environmental issues; publishes a magazine, a book series, and a newsletter; and Desertification in the Third Millennium. Edited by A.S. Alsharhan, W.W. Wood, A.S. Goudie, A. Fowler and E.M. Abdellatif. © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger Publishers, Lisse, The Netherlands, ISBN 90 5809 571 1, p. IX–X. Copyright © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger B.V., Lisse, The Netherlands helps raise environmental awareness through public lectures, training seminars, workshops, and the development of relevant information materials. The Zayed Prize for the Environment will be awarded to individuals and organizations that have: • successfully solved a specific environmental problem; • advanced the cause of the environment toward sustainable development; • brought to public notice significant environmental issues or mobilized action toward their solution; • contributed significantly to intellectual, scientific, or theoretical approaches to environmental concerns; and/or • undertaken activities and initiatives which can serve as a model to others. For information and submission guide it is recommended to refer to the website: www.zayedprize.org The Editors A.S. ALSHARHAN, W.W. WOOD, A.S. GOUDIE, A. FOWLER, and E.M. ABDELLATIF X Copyright © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger B.V., Lisse, The Netherlands Acknowledgement The Dubai International Conference on Desertification was the first international event of the Zayed Prize Foundation. The members of the Organizing and Scientific Committees of the conference express their sincere gratitude and thanks to the General H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Defense Minister, Patron of the Zayed International Prize for the Environment and Patron of the Conference, for his unceasing support and inspiration that made this event a great success. We would like to thank H.H. Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University for his inspiration, encouragement and support. Special thanks go to the United Arab Emirates University for helping in the organization and follow up, and to the Dubai Police General H.Q. for their unlimited support in terms of facilities and human resources. The Dubai Police sub-committees were very instrumental in making sure that everything ran smoothly and systematically. The UAE Radio & TV Corporation in Dubai did a great job in promoting and covering the conference. The UNDP office in Abu Dhabi was instrumental in distributing the message via the UNDP offices all over the world. The UNEP played a major role in the coordination and opening of the conference together with the UNCCD Secretariat. We also thank the United States Geological Survey for their support of the Scientific Organization Committee. Sincere appreciation is also extended to all the sponsors who contributed to the conference and/or participated in the exhibition to make it a success; especially the UAE Post, Emirates Airlines, BMW, National Bank of Dubai, DUBAL, Gulf Eternit, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, UAE Federal Environmental Agency, and the UAE Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries. Our sincere appreciation goes to all the authors of this proceeding for their efforts in writing and revising their manuscripts to meet our deadlines and the publisher’s standard. The authors of this book would like to thank Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Bin Fahad, Chairman of the Higher Committee of the Zayed International Prize for the Environment, for his inspiration and encouragement. Without his support, this publication would not have been possible. We greatly appreciate the effort of Mr. Mohamed Shahid who assisted us in more ways than could be imagined. He processed the chapters for this volume from inception to final completion, incorporated the authors’changes, and handled all correspondences with the authors. We would also like to express our thanks to Mr. Hamdi Kandil for drafting all the figures, arranging them in proper position in this book, and producing the final camera-ready copy of this volume. We thank Balkema Publishers for their patience and encouragement from the inception of this book to its completion. We dedicate this publication to General H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Minister of Defense, and Patron of the Zayed International Prize for the Environment. Desertification in the Third Millennium. Edited by A.S. Alsharhan, W.W. Wood, A.S. Goudie, A. Fowler and E.M. Abdellatif. © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger Publishers, Lisse, The Netherlands, ISBN 90 5809 571 1, p. XI. Copyright © 2003 Swets & Zeitlinger B.V., Lisse, The Netherlands