Environmental degradation in arid and semi-arid regions often results from trade-offs between immediate and long-term needs. Ecological (and ultimately economic) benefits of restrained, sustainable resource use are well-understood by scientists, and are usually apparent to local farmers and...

This paper studies the consequences of certain widespread policies for the quality and sustainability of growth. These policies cause economic inefficiency, environmental destruction and increased poverty. The paper develops a political economy model to show why the existence of such policies is...

This study examines four sets of questions: What is desertification, and how can its impact on productivity be monitored? How extensive is the desertification problem in the MENA region now, and how has it changed over time? What is the current status of the water-harvesting techniques used to...