Sustainable development of drylands demands a multifaceted approach. It requires recognition that neither technical expertise not social skillls alone are enough. Accordingly the papers in these proceedings arranged in two volumes present many strategies from those to survival in deserts to rehabilitation of mined west lands in India and China.The unifying theme of all the five conferences to date has been adaptation to arid climates and learning how to make the adaptation sustainable. These two volumes are the report of the Fifth International Conference on Desert Development. The future of arid lands is indeed bright, and human insatiable thirst for knowledge of the environmental issues that these drylands will continue to be endless frontier for research.
Conference proceedings "Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Desert Development; Texas Tech University; August 12-17, 1996"