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Do we need to worry about the rangelands in the arid and semi-arid areas? Is there hope for these
resources in the year 2000 and beyond? Is it valid to assume that the world's marginal rangelands will survive the
extraordinary pressures which started around the mid-1950s as a result of the sharp increase in human population
density? What can modern technologies bring to these areas, other than disaster and over-use? Nowadays,
domestic animals are trucked to the remotest corners of the earth and plants that used to flourish under very
irregular and scanty rain hardly get a chance to germinate. The seed banks are depleting rapidly, and the
seasonally-rich grazing areas are turning irreversibly into barren lands. These are the cries of the times, and the
agonies of the helpless. However, nature has its own defense mechanisms and strategies which it has maintained
throughout the history of our planet.
This paper explores the fore-mentioned issues from a historic and statistical perspective. Issues relating
to the validity and long-term sustainability of approaches to monitor and manage the extensive rangelands in a
changing world are substantiated and discussed. Attention is also given to the socio-economic and technical
relevance of high tech and conventional approaches towards understanding the dynamics of vegetation and
livestock, the consumption habits of graziers, and the market forces. Consideration is given to the balance
between natural and man-made defenses and strategies and responsibilities at national and regional (e.g., GCC)
levels are explored, proposed and/or recommended.