This paper introduces a special issue of Global Environmental Change: Human dimensions on the Sahel of West Africa. Despite the quarter century of research into the West African Sahel that followed the great droughts of the 1970s, there are still strong disagreements about how to achieve more prosperous, yet sustainable livelihood systems in the region'.(excerpt from introdutory paper by Batterbury and Warren). Other papers in this volume include: C. Raynaut. Societies and nature in the Sahel: ecological diversity and social dynamics. pp. 9-18; M. Hulme. Climatic perspective on Sahelian desiccation: 1973-1998. pp. 19-29; J.M. Cour. The Sahel in West Africa: countries in transition to a full market economy. pp. 31-47; M. Mortimore & WM Adams. Farmer adaptation, change and 'crisis' in the Sahel pp. 49-57; H. Breman, J.J.R Groot, & H van Keulen. Resource limitations in Sahelian agriculture. pp. 59-68; B. Thebaud, S. Batterbury. Sahel pastoralists: opportunism, struggle, conflict and negotiation. A case study from Eastern Niger. pp. 69-78; Warren, S. Batterbury, H Osbahr. Soil erosion in the West African Sahel: a review and an application of a "local political ecology" approach in South West Niger pp. 79-95.
Batterbury, S. and Warren, A. 2001. The African Sahel 25 years after the great drought: Assessing progress and moving towards new agendas and approaches. Global Environmental Change 11(1).