Volume 2 of the book ‘Sand Dunes of the Northern Hemisphere’ is sub-titled Characteristics, Dynamics and Provenance of Sand Dunes in the Northern Hemisphere. It brings together a vast body of information and insight into sand dune and desert systems from North Asia, Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. Chapters from the Russian Federation include studies on dune systems within the permafrost zone and there is a case study from temperate zone dune system in coastal Japan. Volume 2: Characteristics, Dynamics and Provenance of Sand Dunes in the Northern Hemisphere of 16 chapters in three Parts, focusses on Saharan Africa, Egypt, and Middle East and gives attention to sand mobility and encroachment with case studies from a number of countries where these matters are of concern. We also include chapters on the remote dunes in the permafrost zone and in the hyper-arid deserts of Iran. Case studies are used to highlight the characteristics of dunes and their interaction with humans in several widely divergent settings. Volume 2 concludes with some musing on the value of study of the past as key to the future and speculates on what the future might hold in the light of a warmer and drier Earth and a rise in sea level that threaten large tracts of low-lying land with marine incursions and destruction from storm surge. PART 4 Sand Mobility and Encroachment The seven chapters in this Part examine the real-world impact of sand encroachment and dune migration on people and their economic activities and the health, welfare and financial implications related to destruction of infrastructure, including human habitations. PART 5 Sand Dune Landscapes Distribution, Formation and Management Seven Case studies from several geographic regions in Africa, the Middle East, north-east Asia are presented here to demonstrate the underlying mechanisms in dune formation and the diverse approaches to their management. Human impacts such as sand mining, tourism development, combine with natural forces like climate variability to challenge the realization of an optimum management strategy. PART 6 Concluding Thoughts: Coping with an Unknown Future from a Little-known Past The two chapters in Part 6 have special roles. We are privileged to publish new research findings that are summarized here in Chapter 38 from extensive and detailed work conducted in the Kyzyl Kum, and Karakum sand seas of Central Asia. There is a strong belief that further study of the little-known past such as revealed in this study could unlock clues as to what a future Earth might look like. This leads on to speculation in Chapter 39 about the implications of what we already know about global change (not only climate change) and the impact of the Anthropocene on the dune systems, both inland and coastal. Sea level rise, marine incursions and an increase in extreme weather events will affect dune systems and sand seas on the Northern Hemisphere (and beyond).

Table of Contents:
SAND MOBILITY AND ENCROACHMENT. Sand Dunes of the South-eastern Sahara of Morocco: Genesis Morphodynamic and Socioeconomic Impact of Sand Encroachment. Sand Dunes and Sand Encroachment in Moroccan Atlantic Sahara, Current Situation, Threat and Perspective. Sand Dunes in Sudan: A Commentary on Origin, Development and Threats Posed. Genesis, Distribution and Economic Impact of Dune Formations in Nigeria. Human and Climate Impacts on the Mobility of Nizzana Sand Dunes, Israel. Sand Dune Migration as a Source of Environmental Risk to El-Dakhala Oasis—The Western Desert—Egypt. Sand Dune Creeping and its Consequence on Cultivated Land, Development Projects and Protected Areas in Siwa Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt. SAND DUNE LANDSCAPES DISTRIBUTION, FORMATION AND MANAGEMENT. Geomorphology and Sustainable Management for the Sand Dunes of Kuwait. Barchan Dunes Properties in the Middle East. Barchan Dunes in Egypt: Distribution and Formation. Dune Massifs of Russia. Aeolian Sand Dunes in the Permafrost Zone of Russia. Deserts, Sand Dunes and Sand Seas of Iran. Sand Supply System to Dunes and Ecological Aspects in Tottori Sand Dunes, Japan, the Temperate Humid and Tectonically Active Area. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS: COPING WITH AN UNKNOWN FUTURE FROM A LITTLE-KNOWN PAST. The Karakum and Kyzylkum Sand Seas: Linking Geomorphology and Paleoclimate. Sand Dunes on a Warmer and Drier Earth: Uniting Perspectives, Synthesis and Conclusions.