Database development management in a GIS environment

The rangelands of West Asia and North Africa are the grazing grounds for the Bedouin with their flocks of sheep, goats and camels and are known as al Badia in the Middle East region. Average annual rainfall in the Badia ranges between 50 and 250 mm (Haddad 2006). Despite its scarcity, rainwater is generally poorly managed and much of it is lost through runoff and evaporation. To improve production in hese areas, there is a need for the sustainable management of natural resources – land and water (FAO 1983). The challenge is how to enhance productivity and halt land degradation in these marginal environments.