Contents: Foreword. 1. Introduction: i. The scope of this bulletin. ii. The importance of semi-arid regions. iii. Drought and change. iv. Political and social change. 2. The problems of agriculture in the Semi-arid regions: i. Some general problems. ii. Pressures on semi-arid ecosystems. iii. Climate. iv. Soil. v. The farming background. 3. Assessing the possibilities for improving agriculture: i. Physical potential. ii. Social possibilities. 4. Soil conservation: i. Principles. ii. Biological soil conservation. iii. Mechanical conservation works. 5. Water conservation: i. Principles. ii. Methods for cropland. iii. Water spreading. iv. Surface drainage. v. Other sources of water: snow, dew and mist. 6. Water harvesting and use: i. Harvesting methods. ii. Treatment of catchments. iii. Water storage. iv. Losses of stored water. v. Developing groundwater. 7. Applications of water conservation: i. Grazing land. ii. Trees and shrubs. References. Annexure. Index.
