DESERTIFICATION IN AUSTRALIA - AN EYE TO GRASS-ROOTS AND LANDSCAPES

Desertification in some form is estimated to have occurred over about 42% of the 5 million km(2) of arid and semiarid lands in Australia. Th e most common form of desertification is loss of perennial grasses fro m grasslands, savannas, and open woodlands, often with a replacement b y inedible shrubs. Desertification continues to be a problem, especial ly during droughts when grazing pressures reduce ground cover, laying bare landscapes to wind and water erosion. But two national programs, Drought Alert and Landcare, are giving new hope in controlling land de gradation. Both use a grassroots approach by promoting action through local pastoralist and farmer groups and by encouraging the use of effe ctive techniques for rehabilitating landscapes. A strategic applicatio n of pending banks and contour traps with an eye to the landscape has proven successful in stopping and reversing desertification processes.