Combatting the phenomenon of salty desert soil has long challenged those who would return fertility to the desert. As human demands on the land and its resources increases, simultaneous challenges emerge in the form of famines (Somalia), war (Afghanistan) and a short-term focus on productivity over permanent sustainability.
Permaculture offers a viable solution to returning productivity to desert regions, conserving water and holding back harmful salts that kill plant growth. This approach is capably demonstrated in this video featuring an Australian permaculture researcher working in the Jordan Valley:
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/earthrise/2011/10/2011102793927343187.html
healthavenger 