This report is the result of a joint effort by the Secretariat for International Ecology and individual authors. It reviews the recent literature on methods and experiences in counteracting desertification in Africa. Chapters 1-7 describe the dry environments, the ecosystems and the cultural patterns typical of them. Chapter 8 contains a series of cases selected from a number of countries. Chapters 9-12 suggest solutions to the problems and chapter 13 is a summary. The library has a hard copy.