Deserts, Land Use and Desertification.- River Diversion, Irrigation, Salinization, Desertification — an Inevitable Succession.- I: The Aral Sea Crisis.- The Aral Sea Crisis Region.- Flora of the Dry Seafloor of the Aral Sea.- Vegetation Dynamics on the Dry Seafloor of the Aral Sea.- Methods of Conservation and Restoration of Vegetation Cover on the Aral Sea Coast.- Vegetation Dynamics on the Syrdarya Delta and Modern Land Use.- Ecological Basis for Botanical Diversity Conservation within the Amudarya and Syrdarya River Deltas.- The Tugai Forests of Floodplain of the Amudarya River: Ecology, Dynamics and Their Conservation.- Soil Crusts in the Amudarya River Delta: Properties and Formation.- Irrigation and Land Degradation in the Aral Sea Basin.- Ecology of the Aqueous Medium in the Area Surrounding the Aral Sea.- Potable Water: Research into Seasonal Changes and Conditions in the Aral Sea Region.- II: Salt Stress.- Halophytes on the Dry Sea Floor of the Aral Sea.- Halophytes: Structure and Adaptation.- Environmental State and an Analysis of Phytogenetic Resources of Halophytic Plants for Rehabilitation and Livestock Feeding in Arid and Sandy Deserts of Uzbekistan.- Salinity: A Major Enemy of Sustainable Agriculture.- III: Impact of Grazing.- Remarkable Differences in Desertification Processes in the Northern and Southern Richtersveld (Northern Namaqualand, Republic of South Africa).- Colour Plates.- How Grazing Turns Rare Seedling Recruitment Events to Non-Events in Arid Environments.- Vegetation Degradation in Northeastern Jordan.- Impact of Grazing on the Vegetation of South Sinai, Egypt.- Arid Rangeland Management Supported by Dynamic Spatially Explicit Simulation Models.- IV: Desertification Processes and Monitoring.- Remote Sensing of Surface Properties. The Keyto Land Degradation and Desertification Assessments.- Evaluation of Potential Land Use Sites in Dry Areas of Burkina Faso with the Help of Remote Sensing.- Degradation of the Vegetation in the Central Kyzylkum Desert (Uzbekistan).- Modern Geomorphological Processes on the Kazakhstanian Coast of the Caspian Sea and Problems of Desertification.- Anthropogenic Transformation of Desert Ecosystems in Mongolia.- Assessment of the Modern State of Sand—Desert Vegetation in Kazakhstan.- V: Reclamation.- Water-Harvesting Efficiency in Arid and Semiarid Areas.- The Effects of Landscape Structure on Primary Productivity in Source—Sink Systems.- Sedimentary Environments in the Desiccated Aral Sea Floor: Vegetation Recovery and Prospects for Reclamation.- Seeding Experiments on the Dry Aral Sea Floor for Phytomelioration.- Rehabilitation of Areas of Irrigation Now Derelicted Because of Strong Salinization in Ecologically Critical Zones of Priaralia.- Desert Soil Recultivation and Monitoring of (Phyto-) Toxicity: Pilot Project in Three Phases Lasting for 4 Years.- Contributions to a Sustainable Management of the Indigenous Vegetation in the Foreland of Cele Oasis — A Project Report from the Taklamakan Desert.- The Control of Drift Sand on the Southern Fringe of the Taklamakan Desert — an Example from the Cele-Oasis.- The Role of Biological Soil Crusts on Desert Sand Dunes in the Northwestern Negev, Israel.- Restoration of Disturbed Areas in the Mediterranean — a Case Study in a Limestone Quarry.- Indigenous Agroforestry for Sustainable Development of the Area around Lake Nasser, Egypt.- Ziziphus — a Multipurpose Fruit Tree for Arid Regions.- Root Morphology of Wheat Genotypes Grown in Residual Moisture.- Field Studies in Solar Photocatalysis for Detoxification of OrganicChemicals in Waters and Effluents.- VI: National Programs.- Activity of the Consulting Centre to Combat Desertification in Turkmenistan.- Desertification in China and Its Control.- Environmental Problems of the Southern Region of Kazakhstan.- National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Desertification in Kazakstan.- VII: Social and Economic Aspects.- Economic-Demographic Strategies and Desertification: Interactions in Low-Income Countries.- Final Remarks.