(v) Selection and breeding of suitable exceptionally drought - hardy varieties, 

 particularly of Sorghum, Maize, Groundnuts and other legumes as well as of 

 Cotton, require consistent attention. Promising indications have been 

 yielded as the result of investigations in various of the drier regional 

 centres in South Africa. 



VI The future. 



It would be easy to prepare programmes for survey, research and administrative 

 action and to suggest resolutions for this Conference, drawing the attention of the 

 various Governments to the problems and threats already well known. This would be 

 a repetition of what has been covered in varying degree fairly recently at such offi- 

 cial gatherings as: the First Commonwealth Conference on Tropical and Sub- tropical 

 Soils (Harpenden 1948), which was attended also by representatives of certain non- 

 Commonwealth countries, the African Soils Conference (Goma, 1948) and the African 

 Regional Scientific Conference (Johannesburg, 1949). In addition, the creation of 

 the Inter- African Information Bureau for Soil Conservation and Land Utilization, in 

 Paris, as the outcome of the Goma Conference (African Soils, 1951), the setting up of 

 the Council for Scientific Research in Africa South of the Sahara and the establish- 

 ment by U.N.E.S.C.O. of the International Arid Zone Research Council — which in 

 turn has appointed a standing Advisory Committee on Arid Zone Research — augur 

 well for the provision of the requisite scientific, applied economic and administra- 

 tive information regarding all aspects of the threats of desiccation. 



The selection by the above mentioned standing Advisory Committee on Arid 

 Zone Research of the two centres in Algeria — The Saharan Research Centre at Beni- 

 Abbes Oasis on the Qued Saoura in the Southern Algerian Territories, and the Beni 

 Ouif Saharan Biology Station in the Sud Ouranais midway between Colomb Bechar and 

 Ain Scfra ~ is an advance. 



On the applied and economic sides the French are engaged in agricultural, con- 

 servation and other work in several of the desert, semi-desert and arid regions of 

 theii North and West African Empire. 



A survey of action being taken in the territories mentioned reveals that the 

 Union of South Africa and Southern Rhodesia have special legislation and services 

 for combat of the causes and retardation of the processes of desiccation, while to a 

 lesser degree provision has been made in the British Colonial Territories such as 

 Northern Rhodesia, Nyassaland, Tanganyika, Kenya and British Somaliland. The 

 Portuguese have commenced in Mozambique, while for a part of Somalia there has 

 been a survey of aspects of the problem by a recent F.A.O. Mission. 



From this it might be argued that all is well, that the authorities are aware of 

 the need for appropriate action and that such is indeed being either taken or serious- 

 ly planned. 



Unfortunately, the scope and the degree of practical action does not fit the 

 dangers facing us. In part this is due to shortage of funds but rather more because 

 of the lack of staff with the necessary training and experience, while the want of 



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