The food and agricultural employment needs of the rapidly increasing populations of West Asia and North Africa are pressing hard on a fragile and already degraded soil resource. Lands marginal by reason of steep slope, shallow soil or low rainfall are particulary vulnerable, but current "development" is largely exploitative. There has been little local research. Standard conservation practices could be effectively used in many places; but successful adoption requires local community involvement in identifying acceptable and profitable solutions to generally perceived problems and also a reorientation of government priorities to provide support. The paper summarizes findings (and limitations ) of relevant ICARDA research and proposals for new research and regional activities relating to sustainable land management.