There has been a resurgence of interest in land degradation and conservation issues during the 1970s and 1980s, both in Australia and internationally. Rural, community, conservation, scientific and other professional groups have joined in the widening debate which has consequently attracted significant political attention. The impetus for this interest and concern derives from many ideas. They include the perceptions that land in its natural state is becoming increasingly scarce and socially valuable and that more land should therefore be set aside for state and national parks, recreation areas, and flora and fauna reserves; that the quality of land and water has steadily deteriorated in many regions, particularly as a consequence of the soil erosion and salinity associated with agricultural activities; that new technology and increased inputs have masked the effects of degradation which reduced the innate productivity of land in agricultural use; and that the aesthetic appeal of the rural landscape has declined because of unsightly erosion and loss of trees and other native vegetation.

The purpose of the workshop, in which this volume has its origins, was to provide a conceptual and institutional perspective and to analyse in some depth the issues of degrading lands and soil conservation in a way bearing directly on policy. Land degradation is defined broadly to include all adverse onsite and offsite effects that land uses may have on the services provided by land and water.