The theory of degradation

In the preceding three chapters I have located the primary source of the instability (disequilibrium) of dryland environments in the variability of the rainfall, and followed the implications of this instability (or disequilibrium) into two areas: the management of the rangelands for grazing livestock; and the management of cropping and technological systems by farmers. I have suggested that containing and insuring against such risk must be among the primary objectives of all dryland households; furthermore, that other sources of risk originating in the economy may amplify its impact. Since most dryland households (though not all) are primarily dependent on the use of natural resources, it follows that risk management must form a necessary part of their strategy.

Much of the debate about the degradation of natural resources in dryland environments ignores this fact. This, I suggest, is because the theoretical assumptions that underlie statements about degradation are not those of instability but of stability, not those of disequilibrium, but of equilibrium as being the natural order of things.

As stated by Holling (1973: 17), the difference between stability and instability is as follows: