environmental degradation as a cause of conflict in - Steiner Graphics

This study and the seminar organized by the writer at Umm Kaddada town inmid-eighties were some of the steps being taken to ease the task for planners anddecision makers at local and central levels.Our study of this area had been concluded by stressing the fact that the naturalresources in the area were seriously endangered and if no preventive and correctivemeasures (in the manner recommended above) were taken soon to rescue theecosystem from complete deterioration, the whole area would come to a point ofno return and the proper time would be missed forever.Now twenty years have passed since the conclusion of that study and we areobliged to ask:a) Which parts of these recommendations have been realized and with whatsort of results?b) Who attempted to realize it and how?c) What were the main handicaps and bottleneck that faced the realization ofthe recommended measures (ecologically, socially, economically and politically)?d) What were the changes occurring to the area throughout the last 20 yearscompared with database collected by our study?e) Has the area really reached the point of no return or does it still possesssome potential?f) Is there any possibility of updating the information obtained through thisstudy under the prevailing environmental, social, financial and political conditions?54