Desertification: prevention and restoration

Approaches and strategies to prevent and reverse desertification can be broadly grouped as prevention, mitigation, and restoration. Desertification is framed within multiscale, coupled human–environmental dynamics, and so must be the approaches for prevention and reversal. The development of integrated analytical methods for evaluating and monitoring interventions is crucial. Recent approaches focus on indicators that relate to ecosystem integrity and services and to human well-being. Lessons learnt in the field from implemented projects are discussed.