Alan Thomas is Senior Lecturer in Deveopment Policy and Practice at the Open University. His previous publications include the Third World Atlas and Finding out Fast: Investigative Skills for Policy and Development.Susan Carr is Senior Lecturer in Systems at the Open University. Her previous publications include Practical Conservation: Urban Habitats and Practical Conservation: Boundary Habitats.David Humphreys is Lecturer in Environmental Policy at the Open University. His previous publications include Forest Politics: The Evolution of International Cooperation.

• Chapter 1 NGOs and their influence on environmental policies in Africa, ThomasAlan; Chapter 2 Land degradation and sustainable resource management in an African context, DavidHumphreys, SusanCarr; Chapter 3 NGO influence at the International Negotiating Committee for a Convention to Combat Desertification, SusanCarr, AlanThomas, EnochOkpara, RogerMpande, DavidHumphreys; Chapter 4 Challenging maize, DerekGunby; Chapter 5 The campaign for water from the Zambezi for Bulawayo, DerekGunby, RogerMpande, AlanMpande; Chapter 6 The policy of fencing Botswana's communal rangelands, OnalennaSelolwane; Chapter 7 The campaign against the Southern Okavango Integrated Water Development Project, AlanThomas, OnalennaSelolwane, DavidHumphreys; Chapter 8 An NGO campaign to protect the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands in Northern Nigeria, SusanCarr, ObasiOgbonnaya; Chapter 9 The Ogoni people's campaign over oil exploitation in the Niger Delta, Susan Carr, Oronto Douglas, Uche Onyeagucha; Chapter 10 Influence thrust upon them? NGOs' role in public action on the environment in Africa, AlanThomas, DavidHumphreys, SusanCarr; Annex Index;