In the ninth year since the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification was adopted in June 1994, it is pleasing to note that the Convention has reached maturity and is moving from preparation of the national action programmes to the implementation phase.

The Convention has been particularly successful in securing the participation of local communities in the decision-making and implementation processes, without which enduring and effective changes needed to fight land degradation and desertification would not be possible.

The stories collected here are good examples of how local communities in different parts of the world have each sought to tackle the problem of land degradation.