In October 1981, the Fourth All-Union Scientific Conference on the Integrated Study, Development, and Protection of Deserts was held in Ashgabat. Participants included representatives of the Soviet scientific community, design and planning organizations, industrial enterprises, institutions of higher education, and various ministries involved in the study and development of natural resources in desert regions. A previous All-Union scientific conference on this subject had been held in Ashgabat in 1976. During the period between the two conferences, significant economic changes took place in the republics located within the desert zone. New oil and gas fields were developed, large irrigation canals and reservoirs were constructed, mineral resources in desert regions were discovered and intensively exploited, and both crop production and animal husbandry expanded. The conference summarized the achievements of five years of research on desert-related problems and, in accordance with the resolutions of the 26th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, identified the priority tasks for future work. This volume contains reports in five major areas. I. Natural Climatic Conditions, Regionalization, and Nature Conservation in Deserts The intensive exploitation of natural resources, large-scale irrigation construction in deserts, and other forms of human economic activity have demonstrated that, under modern conditions, anthropogenic factors have become an important force in landscape formation. A number of papers examine the impacts of irrigation canals and reservoirs on desert climate, soils, and landscapes. They also address issues of regional natural-resource utilization and the protection of natural complexes under conditions of active economic development. II. Aerospace Methods for the Study of Natural Conditions and Resources As is well known, humanity’s entry into outer space stimulated the development of new scientific disciplines. Among these, space geoscience provided new momentum for the development of effective methods for studying desert natural conditions and resources. At the present stage, aerospace (remote sensing) methods form the basis of desert monitoring. The rapidly changing natural conditions of deserts are studied at three levels: from space, from aircraft (or helicopters), and from the ground. Each monitoring level addresses its own set of tasks. These issues are reflected in the reports presented. III. Land Resources of Deserts Large areas of irrigated land are distributed throughout the desert zones of the Soviet Union and are used for cultivating cotton, sugar beet, grain crops, and fodder crops. Land resources are of great importance for implementing the Soviet food program. In the future, extensive new areas of land may be brought under cultivation, requiring additional water resources. The reports describe changes in the physicochemical properties of soils under irrigation and devote considerable attention to the rational utilization of desert resources and the improvement of soil fertility. IV. Water Resources of Deserts The reports address issues related to the rational use of water resources and the redistribution of water under desert conditions for the cultivation of various agricultural crops. They also present the results of research on the Aral Sea problem, which at the time was an issue of pressing concern. V. Mobile Sand Dunes and Their Stabilization New data are presented on the stabilization of sand dunes using binding materials and vegetation improvement techniques, as well as on the influence of shelterbelts on the productivity of agricultural lands. These reports are particularly important from the standpoint of preventing potential desertification processes. The data presented demonstrate the extensive experience accumulated by Soviet scientists and practitioners in addressing the challenges of the integrated study and development of resources in desert regions.